With the Senate voting Saturday to allow debate on its version of ObamaCare to proceed, the only hope for defeating this monster now is a public outcry that is so huge that even the MedicoCracy in Washington can’t ignore it. Hence, it is significant that the latest Rasmussen poll shows support for health care reform dropping rapidly.
The poll shows that now just 38% of voters favor the health care plan proposed by President Obama and congressional Democrats and 56% oppose it. That’s the lowest level of support measured for the plan in nearly two dozen tracking polls conducted since June.
Rasmussen notes that half of the survey was conducted before the Senate voted late Saturday to begin debate. Support for the plan was slightly lower in the half of the survey conducted after the Senate vote.
Prior to this, support for the plan had never fallen below 41%. Last week, it was at 47%, and two weeks ago, it was 45% of voters.
What’s more, the poll shows that the more details Americans get, the more they dislike this devil. They aren’t buying any of claims of the advocates. “Only 16% now believe passage of the plan will lead to lower health care costs. Nearly four times as many (60%) believe the plan will increase health care costs. Most (54%) also believe passage of the plan will hurt the quality of care,” Rasmussen notes.
But what is the tipping point when Democratic legislators might rethink their designs of shoving ObamaCare down the throat of an unwilling public? The creepy but shrewd political strategist of the Clinton yore, Dick Morris, prognosticates:
Democrats will march in lockstep to approve a bill that lags in the public opinion polls by something like the current margin of fifteen points. With roughly 40% approving of the plan and 55% against it, Democrats will likely heed the pleas of their leaders and lend their assent.
But if the current slide in ratings continues and health care’s support slips into the mid or low thirties, all bets are off. Even this Congress will not pass a program that meets with a 2:1 disapproval among the voters. They will try to buy off the opposition with compromises, but, failing that, they will just vote no.
So if Morris is right, should the polls drop another four to six points, ObamaCare might go into cardiac arrest.
Perhaps. I’m crossing my fingers but not holding my breath.