Majority sick of healthcare debate

A slight majority says it’s tired of hearing political candidates talk about the healthcare law ahead of the midterm elections, according to a new poll.

Fifty-one percent want politicians to discuss other issues like jobs, compared with 43 percent who want debate on ObamaCare to continue, according to the survey.

{mosads}The figures underscore the tough task facing candidates who want to use healthcare to boost their position before November.

In discussing ObamaCare, candidates from both parties appear to risk alienating a portion of the electorate that is tired after four years of political fighting on the issue.

The survey was conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation as part of its monthly project tracking opinion of the Affordable Care Act.

The law remains unpopular, with a 45-percent plurality holding unfavorable views. But six in 10 also told Kaiser that ObamaCare has not affected them or their families.

The numbers reveal a deep partisan split on the impact of the law, with Republicans more likely than Democrats to say their families have been hurt, 37 percent to 8 percent.

One in 4 Democrats, meanwhile, said the Affordable Care Act has helped their families, compared to 5 percent of Republicans. The majority of both groups, along with independents, reported no direct impact.

A majority (59 percent) said they want Congress to improve the law rather than repealing it and enacting an alternative. This question revealed another heavy partisan split, with two-thirds of Republicans favoring repeal-and-replace.