Voters favor Democratic ideas to mend healthcare

Healthcare is widely seen as the top domestic issue in next year's presidential race. Two of the main proposals advanced by Democrats received majority support in the poll. Sixty-two percent said they supported requiring large employers to help pay for coverage whereas 31% opposed it. And 51% said they favored a mandate that individuals purchase health insurance, much as drivers are required to carry auto coverage; 39% disagreed. Tax breaks to make insurance more affordable -- a leading Republican idea -- more closely divided the public, with 44% backing that approach and 45% opposing it. In one of the most politically significant results, the poll finds that independents and moderates were generally lining up with Democrats in the healthcare debate.