Democrat strategists uniformly predicted that ObamaCare would be popular after its passage. Looking back, their statements were clearly wrong.
“As part of the run up to the November elections, the Heritage Foundation, a conservative Washington think tank, has established an “action arm” to push for repeal. Much of the focus involves tapping into what it perceives is significant grassroots backing. The group has enlisted the help of 74 conservative organizations to talk to lawmakers. The effort, which is being led by Michael Needham, also has a form letter available on its website for voters to send to their representatives in Congress. The ultimate goal is to have lawmakers vote up or down on repealing the health reform law. With 170 Republican signatures currently on a discharge petition to bring a repeal bill to the House floor – 218 is the necessary number – Heritage Action is now eyeing Democrats who voted against passage of the health law. And, despite the long odds against repealing the law anytime soon, Needham says the prospects of success are good, even if it takes another four years and a new Congress.”
Despite a summer-long campaign from ObamaCare supporters, their own polling demonstrates the public is still opposed to the new law. “The August Health Tracking Poll finds that support for health reform fell over the course of August, dipping from a 50 percent favorability rating in July to 43 percent, while 45 percent of the public reported unfavorable views.”
“They now understand that the public has not, and will not, buy the argument that a government takeover of American health care will somehow lower costs. Americans have long understood that Obamacare is a massive new spending commitment, piled on top of the unaffordable ones already on the federal books. That’s a recipe for financial disaster, not deficit cutting. The solution is repeal coupled with a reform that puts consumers, not the government, in charge of controlling costs. That’s the way to fix health care — and the budget too. And, yes, it can be done.”
In the teeth of a severe recession, ObamaCare supporters pushed a government take-over of the health care system filled with job-killing taxes and mandates instead of any activity to promote economic growth. This fact is only now dawning on many progressives. “Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.), the president of this Congress’s first-term Democrats, said that his party’s months-long battle to pass healthcare reform might have come off as a distraction considering the tough economic climate in the U.S.”
“A new poll shows that public support for health care reform dropped sharply in August – a dagger in Democrats’ hopes that their landmark legislation will help them in November’s midterm. The Kaiser Health Tracking Poll has support for the bill dropping seven percentage points in August – down to 43 percent – while opposition rose 10 points to 45 percent. That’s the weakest showing since May – and a far cry from the bump proponents had hoped to see as some of the law’s more consumer-friendly provisions kick in.”
HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said in an interview that Americans need to be “re-educated” when it comes to ObamaCare. These comments come as a wave of new polling demonstrates how public opinion has not been swayed by the Administration’s hard sell.
Progressive ObamaCare supporter Health Care for America Now (HCAN) is organizing a field campaign to help Democrats in tough re-election races. But HCAN staffers aren’t going around touting the success of ObamaCare, because it’s so unpopular. “Now, HCAN’s field crews are finding that the best way to support reform-friendly lawmakers is to talk about something else: jobs, the economy or other issues likely to resonate more with voters.”
“An interesting pattern has started to emerge in this midterm election, which could be dominated by the continuing debate over the health care reform law passed earlier this year. A whole bunch of Dems from Republican-leaning districts have been running ads in which they tout their opposition to the bill.”
“The real wallop of ObamaCare will come in 2014, when most of the spending begins and businesses and individuals are hit with intrusive and expensive mandates. The main job of Republicans, should they capture Congress, will be to slow down implementation of the law and explain to the American people the damage it will do—and already is doing—to our economy. If the White House changes hands in 2012, they can be ready to start with a clean slate and begin a step-by-step approach to sensible reform.”