“That means it could be a much different story in the general election,” Kaiser chief executive Drew Altman said on Sunday.Īnalysts said Democrats could still win the healthcare argument if they emphasize Republicans’ failure to propose an alternative. The Kaiser foundation’s polling has found skepticism about Medicare for All among swing voters, particularly in the key battleground states of Michigan, Minnesota, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. House of Representatives, many candidates focused on Republican efforts to repeal of the Affordable Care Act. In 2018, when Democrats recaptured control of the U.S. “What I do see is Democrats being concerned that it is an alienating issue for independents and ‘sometimes Trumpers.’” “I don’t see most Democrats staying home or defecting because of Medicare for All as an issue,” said Joel Payne, a veteran of Democratic presidential campaigns. The question for Sanders, and the Democratic Party, is whether Medicare for All could become a liability in November’s general election against Republican President Donald Trump, when the Democratic nominee and hundreds of down-ballot candidates may need the support of swing voters and disaffected Trump supporters.
If that dynamic holds in South Carolina, which votes on Saturday, and on March 3, when 14 states host elections on “Super Tuesday,” Sanders could open up an commanding lead despite moderates’ efforts to derail him. Among Nevadans who supported a single-payer plan, 49% said they were backing Sanders – more than three times that of any other candidate. Those figures were similar to what polls found in the first two contests in Iowa and New Hampshire, where around 60% of voters also backed Medicare for All and Sanders had strong showings. But entrance polls from Edison Research showed more than 60% of caucus-goers favored replacing private insurance with a government-run plan, suggesting Sanders’ sweeping proposal helped deliver his decisive win in Nevada rather than damaging his bid.