Memo to Dems: People love health reform!

Strategist Mark Mellman wrote a four-page memo to Democratic senators urging them to embrace the controversial health reform bill that is on it's way to squeak through the senate.

It's a ray of light for Democrats worried about selling health reform in their home states and a bucket of cold water for Republicans looking to capitalize on what appears to be dismal support for reform in opinion polls.

In the memo he explains how poll coverage by many news outlets focuses on the number of people who say they're opposed. But the coverage often neglects to mention many of those opposed think reform doesn't go far enough. He also notes once reform is explained to people they tend to support it and that a majority say they support some sort of health reform.

In describing a November AP/Ipsos poll that shows 46 percent oppose reform to 34 percent in favor he describes how 12 percent opposed it because they think it doesn't go far enough. Mellman writes: "So what initially appears to be a 12-point margin against reform is actually an even division."

Last week the Review-Journal reported dynamics similar to those Mellman describes at play in polls of Nevadans: "Although a survey earlier this month by Mason-Dixon Polling & Research showed only 39 percent of Nevadans favored reform as proposed and 53 percent opposed it, the same poll showed some potential for reform to gain support.

"In a separate question, respondents were asked to identify what kind, if any, of health reform is needed. The result was 84 percent favored some sort of intervention, with 29 percent advocating a major overhaul; 39 percent wanting some changes to expand insurance availability and lower costs; and 16 percent favoring minor changes. Only 9 percent said "the government should do nothing."

[Link to Review-Journal article]

View the Mellman memo as a PDF, here.