A new CNN poll asked:
bq. Now thinking specifically about the health insurance plans available to most Americans, would you favor or oppose creating a public health insurance option administered by the federal government that would compete with plans offered by private health insurance companies?
A majority, 56%, favored the public option when described that way; 42% were opposed.
Then CNN asked:
bq. Would you favor or oppose that plan if state governments were able to decide that the public health insurance option administered by the federal government would not apply to all people living in those states?
Then a vast majority, 66%, were _opposed_ to the plan, and only 28% were in favor.
That surprised me because the public-option-with-the-opt-out has always been presented as a sort kinder, gentler public option that would appeal to more people — or at least to more members of Congress. Perhaps the CNN question wording doesn’t do it justice. I’m not well-versed enough on the opt-out to say, nor have I seen other polls on this specific provision.