In the August tracking poll conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation, Iraq and health care are the top two issues that Republicans, Democrats, and independents alike want the 2008 presidential candidates to address in their campaigns. For Democrats, the same percentage mentions Iraq and health care (42 percent). Among Republicans, 32 percent cite Iraq as the most important issue, with health care coming in second at 21 percent, followed by terrorism at 16 percent and immigration and the economy, both at 15 percent.
The poll also examined people’s thoughts about the presidential candidates’ positions on, and commitment to, health care as an issue. As in the past two tracking polls, nearly six in 10 people (59 percent) said they still don’t know or can’t name a candidate who best represents their views on health, or said that no candidate represents their views. However, among the 41 percent who named a candidate, Sen. Hillary Clinton remains the top candidate on this question, with 19 percent of the public overall, and 35 percent of Democrats saying she best represents their healthcare views. Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani remains the top pick among Republicans, but with only 8 percent of Republicans (and 3 percent of the public overall) saying he best represents their views on health.
