As the health care fight goes on…and on…and on, some might begin to wonder why President Obama and the Democrats continue to press forward despite the lack of public support and the deepening economic woes that confronting the country.
Gallup tells us that Obama’s job approval has reached a new low at 46 percent, with a 45 percent disapproval rate. And Rasmussen tells us that 82 percent of the country views jobs and the economy as a very important issue. (And 81% see ethics issues as very important!)
Kimberly Strassel at the Wall Street Journal is wondering the same thing. The fact is, over the past year, the Democrats have gone through several different reasons to fight. Early on, for instance, she explains they relied on the hypothesis, “If We Build It, They Will Come.”
But ObamaCare ain’t no baseball field. Today the American public still rejects government-run health care:
Whatever their view on individual elements of the legislation, Americans now firmly believe the sum total is a monstrosity that will harm the economy, cost too much, raise their premiums, and result in higher taxes.
With the spring recess just weeks away, President Obama and his congressional colleagues are making one final push. Strassel calls this the “‘Democrats Must Prove They Can Lead’ theory.” Or, we better show voters why they should show up and vote for us in November:
Put another way, Democrats will prove to voters how capable they are by passing a bill that most voters—including 62% of independents—hate. Curious. This theory also assumes Americans will confuse Cornhusker kickbacks, Christmas Eve votes, and a desperate reconciliation process with “governance.” Curiouser. Most curious is that this theory does not allow for Democrats to prove their leadership by dropping ObamaCare and instead passing measures that are popular with the public and have bipartisan support.
The truth is, the American people don’t want a massive overhaul of health care (Stay Tuned for an IWV healthcare poll, to be released next week!), and it’s looking more and more like they question Democrats ability to get the job done.