Republican Presidential Candidate Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) won by a landslide in presidential poll of Medtrade Fall attendees and exhibitors conducted by the National Association of Independent Medical Equipment Suppliers.

The poll received 183 ballots with 64 percent favoring McCain, 30 percent voting for Democratic Presidential Candidate Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) and 6 percent saying they were undecided. When those results are put against additional survey questions conducted by NAIMES, some interesting comparisons can be made:

• Regardless of their own vote, 69 percent of the Medtrade Fall voters said Democratic candidate will win the White House.
• When asked if they thought the DME industry would fare better under a Democratic administration, 44 percent said yes and 56 percent said no.
• When asked if having a Republican administration and a Democratic Congress is better for the DME industry, respondents were split down the middle with 50 percent saying yes and 50 percent saying no.
• While Medtrade votes might have favored McCain, 80 percent said the Republicans had a tarnished image after the last eight years.
• When asked if they felt the next Congress would repeal competitive bidding 53 percent said no while 47 percent said yes.
• Sixty percent of the respondents felt the oxygen cap should be repealed in light of the recent cuts, with 40 percent saying no.
• On the lobbying front, 53 percent of the voters aid their Congressional Representative knew them by their face and name, with 47 percent saying they didn’t.

HME Business is currently conducting its own online presidential poll asking which candidate’s health care policies are best for the industry. Make sure to cast your vote!