Some News for the Maine Twins: They Love the Public Option Back Home

Brian Beutler speculates over whether Snowe is "about to pull an Arlen Specter." Maybe this polling on the public option in her home state will help reinforce for her just out of step her opposition to the public option is with the folks back home.

Research 2000 for Daily Kos. 9/14-16. Likely voters. MoE 4%.

Do you favor or oppose creating a government-administered health insurance option that anyone can purchase to compete with private insurance plans?

    Favor  Oppose  Not Sure
All   58     29     13
Dem   81     16      3
Rep   18     58      24  
Ind   67     20     13

Look at those Independent numbers--67 percent in favor! Hell, even 42 percent of Republicans like it or aren't sure that it's such a bad idea.

Here's another fun fact. When we last polled Maine, before the 2008 elections, Collins had a 65-29 favorability rating. In this current poll, she's at 56-39 -- a 19-point drop. Ouch.

Snowe's approval isn't through the roof either, and in fact is marginally worse than Collins's, at 54-40. She won reelection in 2006 with 74 percent. So you could argue a 20 point drop for her. In contrast, Obama's favorability in the state is a resounding 68-23.

Mainers like the president, and his agenda of healthcare reform, including the public option. The Maine Twins' intransigence on the public option could be one of the factors hurting them back home.

Could it change? Snowe is now saying "I'm going to support the right policy," rather than vote with her party on health care reform. Where Snowe goes, Collins is sure to follow.

So here we are. For the majority of Snowe's and Collins's constituents, the right policy is a public option.