Why Was Obama Elected?

Courtney E. Martin, in a piece in The American Prospect about Obama and the healthcare issue, said this:

Last year, voters made clear that, after propping up the economy, reforming our health-care system should be the president's top priority.

Her link goes to a collection of polls that consistently show Healthcare as a distant 3rd or 4th.
How about:

CNN/Opinion Research Corporation Poll. Oct. 30-Nov. 1, 2008:
Economy 57%
War in Iraq 13%
Healthcare 13%

Or:

CBS News/New York Times Poll. Oct. 25-29, 2008
The economy and jobs 55%
Terrorism and national security 13%
Healthcare 9%

Or:

Newsweek Poll Oct. 22-23, 2008.

Economy and jobs 44%

Taxes, government spending 14%

Terrorism, national security 12%

Healthcare 8%

The first poll where Healthcare is second is this one, AFTER the election.

CNN/Opinion Research Corporation Poll. Dec. 19-21, 2008

The economy 75%

Healthcare 7%

In my book 75% to 7% is not a second 'top priority'.


So what am I if I say Ms. Martin is lying by her statement that "voters made clear that, after propping up the economy, reforming our health-care system should be the president's top priority"? It's clearly not, by the very polls she references.