AARP poll favors Clinton on health care
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By Ed Tibbetts | Monday, October 08, 2007 |
Democratic presidential hopeful U. S. Sen. Hillary Clinton delivers her speech on the economy Monday in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Respondents to an AARP poll said Clinton was the Democratic candidate who best could achieve progress on health care. (AP PHOTO)
TODAY: (Updated 4:45 p.m.) A new poll of older Iowa Democratic caucus-goers says U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton is the best person to break through partisan gridlock and special interests to achieve progress on health care.
The poll, conducted by AARP in the days after the Democratic presidential debate in Davenport last month, also showed that large numbers also want more information.
“They need to focus on these issues and talk about these issues,” said Bruce Koeppl, state director for AARP, a major sponsor of the Davenport debate.
It also is organizing a Republican forum in Sioux City on Oct. 25.
The survey of 503 AARP members said 25 percent of the respondents thought Clinton, D-N.Y., can best achieve progress on health care.
Next were John Edwards of North Carolina and U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., both at 18 percent. New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson followed with 5 percent. Twenty-one percent said they needed more information.
Jeff Love, AARP research director, said there was no way of knowing whether the debate affected the survey results. But he said viewership of debates among respondents was high.
“We know they watched,” he said.
Clinton also led when people were asked who would best address health care issues in general, with Edwards next and then Obama.
The poll was conducted Sept. 24-26 among people who had attended at least one caucus since 1988 and plan to go next year. The Davenport debate was held Sept. 20. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.4 percentage points.
Older voters are a major constituency group in Iowa, with 51 percent of the 2004 caucus-goers over the age of 55, according to the Iowa Democratic Party.
The AARP poll said health care is the most important domestic issue, with financial security also a priority. On the latter, Edwards and Clinton led among respondents, but most said they need more information.
Koeppl said a similar poll of Republican attitudes will be conducted after the Sioux City forum.
So far, U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee are committed to attend, but Koeppl said he expects more candidates to join.
Ed Tibbetts can be contacted at (563) 383-2327 or etibbetts@qctimes.com. Comment on this article at qctimes.com.
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