I have long thought that stopping Obamacare would require convincing 35% of the people to oppose. That’s a hard number to hit in our society. An idea or politician has to be really disliked to register that low—unless you have a very high number of people who express no opinion.
Well, the most recent Gallup Poll finds that support for Obamacare has plummeted to the magic number. From the story:
As the debate over a health care bill enters a critical stage, a new USA TODAY/Gallup Poll finds Americans inclined to oppose congressional passage of the legislation this year. The survey, taken Friday through Sunday, finds 42% against a bill, 35% in support of it. Despite nearly a year of presidential speeches, congressional hearings and TV ad campaigns by interest groups, more than one in five still doesn’t have a strong opinion. When pressed about how they were leaning, 49% overall said they would urge their member of Congress to vote against a bill; 44% would urge a vote for it. The findings underscore the difficult battle ahead as President Obama presses Congress to enact the legislation by the end of the year.
Remember too, the intensity of feelings about the bill are clearly running from the rejectionist camp. This doesn’t mean the Democrats won’t shove it through. But it is getting increasingly difficult to justify. And if they do, not only could there could be a stiff political price to pay, but the intense negativity generated could kill other problematic schemes, such as the global warming bill pushed by hysteria more than science. At some point, public opinion cannot be ignored.
