 Very important: 10.5% |
 Somewhat important: 31.6% |
 Not very important: 21.1% |
 Not important at all: 36.8% |
 Very important: 29.4% |
 Somewhat important: 29.4% |
 Not very important: 23.5% |
 Not important at all: 17.6% |
Very important
"First, huge health care costs are perhaps the main economic problem facing America. Second, if Obama can't pass health care, he won't be able to pass much else. Third, a failure on health care reform would leave him looking weak and progressive activists/organizations extremely demoralized." Chris Bowers, Open Left
"To him personally, it is very important. In truth, a good bill that provides universal coverage, cost containment and a public option with 51 votes is better than a watered-down, industry-bought bill with 60 votes. But Obama values bipartisanship and political expediency over sound policy." Steve Soto, The Left Coaster
Somewhat important
"A bipartisan achievement will solidify Obama's post-partisan rep and ensure that universal health care lasts beyond its infancy. That said, he shouldn't give away the farm trying to appease every last dead-ender Republican. Getting it done is more important than bipartisanship." Kari Chisholm, Blue Oregon
"In a perfect world, you would hope for GOP-buy in, but that is not today's Washington. Using Frist's scalpel and DeLay's hammer, the Republicans hacked and smashed much of the Bush agenda through in W's first term, with few Dem votes. When the details of the Obama health care plan emerge, the bipartisanship will melt away and the minority's nit-picking will escalate. The lies and fear-mongering from the R's over health care have already begun to poison the policymaking process." Matt L. Barron, RuralVotes
"It's important that he try. However, to congressional Republicans, being bipartisan is 'no reform,' so that's a non-starter." Greg Dworkin, Daily Kos
"Since most Republicans seem determined to oppose any health care reform in spite of the fact that the Obama plan is pro-competition, bipartisan support would be nice but shouldn't deter the process. Just a few key Republicans are needed. What is more of a problem are the so-called 'Blue Dog' Democrats who have shown time and time again that they are willing to vote against the interests of the citizens that elected them." Tracy Viselli, Reno And Its Discontents
"He'll offer the GOP what's obviously a fair deal. But he can count on them to reject it. He'll then jam something better through under reconciliation, and it will be clear to everyone but Fred Hiatt and Stuart Taylor who was, and who wasn't, willing to work with the other side." Mark Kleiman, The Reality-Based Community
Not very important
"It is far more important to get a working health care system than to satisfy either the insurance industry or a few Republican senators." Brian Leubitz, Calitics
Not important at all
"'Bipartisan' health care reform would not be health care reform. It is important that health care reform not be 'bipartisan.'" Big Tent Democrat, TalkLeft
"Bipartisan has been redefined by Republicans as 'you agree with us,' not 'let's come to an agreement.' Screw 'em. If they want to be part of the conversation, then that conversation has to start on the Democrats' terms." Lee Papa, The Rude Pundit
"Get it done. Ram it down the throats of the insurance lobby and the Republicans. Don't negotiate anything with anybody. Democrats have the majorities needed to finally get it done." Sean-Paul Kelley, The Agonist
"The American people, by large margins, want significant health care reform now. So I would turn the question on its head and ask: Politically, how important is it to Republican leaders that health care reform be bipartisan?" Dean Barker, Blue Hampshire
"If anything, keeping it bipartisan makes sure it won't be 'reform' in any real sense, since the Republicans despise just about anything that makes government look good. They're not good-faith partners." Susie Madrak, Suburban Guerrilla
"What's important is that he get it passed, and that it works. If it works, no one will care if no Republicans voted for it. And if it fails, no one will care if it was the most bipartisan bill ever." David Kravitz, Blue Mass. Group
"All that's important is that health care is actually reformed, not just tweaked. When new policies make substantial improvements in peoples' lives, it won't matter to most Americans whether the change was bipartisan or not." Barbara O'Brien, The Mahablog
"He seems to think it's important. Remember what happened with FDR's Social Security bill: The Republicans obstructed it and called Democrats 'socialists.' Despite GOP opposition and hysteria, Social Security went on to be the most valued government program ever. And it helped keep the Democrats in power for decades." Howie Klein, Down With Tyranny!
Very important
"If it's just Democrats, every single problem the program has (and it'll have a lot of them) will be hung around their necks." Rob Port, Say Anything
"You can't transform 13 percent of the economy on a party-line vote." Soren Dayton, The Next Right
"It is important to Obama because this was a promise made to his voters, like so many others. His predecessors could not get a health care bill passed, and many are counting on Obama to come through for them." Debbie Hamilton, Right Truth
"As with the 'stimulus,' Obama needs to have the cover of bipartisanship. If the health care takeover is a fiscal and quality success, he'll take sole credit. If it results in the expected reduction of quality, choice and regulation of our activities, he'll say that the blame should be shared." Bob Parks, Black And Right
Somewhat important
"In the first two months of Obama's presidency, I would have said 'not important at all.' The lovefest was in full swing and he was walking tall with an 'I win, you lose' attitude. Obama's first few months in office, though, have taken the bloom off the rose. The media is still in love, but conservative Democrats are getting a little fractious, the recession is deepening, and the public is increasingly disenchanted. He needs at least the appearance of bipartisanship." Bookworm, Bookworm Room
"Any policy as likely to tank and become a gigantic disaster as nationalized health care needs bipartisan cover. Better to have a few Republicans as hostages in the bomb shelter with you when the mob arrives." Martin Solomon, Solomonia
"Obama will talk a good game about the 'need' for it to be bipartisan; however, when faced with GOP opposition, he'll resort to the tried and true tactics of demonization -- that Republicans 'don't care about the sick,' yada yada yada." D.S. Hube, The Colossus Of Rhodey
Not very important
"President Obama has the votes. If he can't convince enrough Democrats to go along with his health reform, it's sunk. More likely the opposition to it will be bipartisan." David Gerstman, Soccer Dad
Not important at all
"The president seems to be talking the talk about bipartisanship, but I've seen very little in his proposals that seeks to limit government expansion and overstep. The president could care less about his health care proposal being bipartisan." J.R. Hoeft, Bearing Drift
"Why would he care? It's all about the stealing and he has the votes." Robert Miller, JoshuaPundit
"Since when do supreme rulers care about bipartisanship? Recall the words of Obama: 'We won.' He's right, and he's acting like it. Republicans should take notice." Doug Lambert, GraniteGrok
Mitt Romney: 4.8%
Fox News Channel: 4.8%
Other: 4.8%
None: 19%
Sarah Palin: 5.9%
the blogosphere: 5.9%
Wall Street Journal editorial page: 5.9%
Other: 5.9%
None: 35.3%