Define Ammuntion

It never ceases to amaze me how far "news" organizations will go to try to spice up their stories.

CNN has a story up entitled "CNN Poll: Americans worry Obama health care plan will increase costs"

So lets see where that part of the story kicks in around the 7th graf.

But the poll does provide some ammunition for Republicans opposed to the president's proposals. Fifty-four percent say their medical insurance costs will increase if the Obama plan becomes law, with 17 percent feeling their costs will decrease. Around one in four say their costs will remain the same. And only one in five say their family will be better off if the president's plan becomes law, with 35 percent feeling they would be worse off, and 44 percent saying they would be about the same.

So 54% of those surveyed say their costs will go up. Ok and I suppose thats a valid worry. But how did it affect their support for healthcare reform? Well for that you have to look up earlier in the article.

Fifty-one percent of people questioned in the poll say they favor the president's health care plan, with 45 percent opposed.

So let me get this straight, 54% say their costs would go up and yet President Obama's plan STILL gets 51% support?!

Well my goodness, its almost as if the American people are ready to pay more for a better health care system.

And then lets look at the other bit of "ammunition" for the GOP in the poll according to CNN.

Thirty five percent feel they will be worse off with President Obama's plan. Well that kinda sorta tracks along with the same 30ish percentage of voters who don't approve of President Obama so far, ie wingnuts. But lets do the math on the other side of the argument.

Twenty percent believe that they will be better off and fourty four percent they will be the same. Hmmm so you mean to tell me that 64% of all Americans see either no harm coming to them or a benefit coming to them from health care reform and thats supposed to be a winnning argument for the GOP?!

Sigh.

I am sure this will bring out the concern trolls in the ConservaDem ranks who ignore any polling that shows strong support for a public option in health care reform but will focus endlessly on the framing of a poll, not the poll itself mind you, that implies that healthcare reform doesn't have public support.

This kind of reporting and story framing is what will keep bloggers in business for a very long time.