A new poll just out has opposition to Obamacare jumping 9 points in a single month, but some of its other findings are incongruous.


Politico reports:



Public opposition to the health care reform law spiked to a record high in a new poll out today – but Americans don’t necessarily want Republicans to spend time trying to dismantle it.



Fifty percent of Americans have unfavorable views of the law, according to a joint survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation and the Harvard School of Public Health. Opposition to the law jumped 9 percentage points from last month and is the highest since April, when Kaiser began asking the question every month.



At the same time, only 33 percent of respondents like the idea of defunding the legislation, and 62 percent disapprove.



The poll results show just how difficult a dance Republicans could have ahead of them: While the reform law isn’t popular, neither is their time-consuming and difficult plan to repeal it piece by piece.


I’m not an expert on interpreting polls, but let me hazard a guess at what’s behind the strange results (we hate it; don’t touch it): Americans felt intense distaste for the unseemly antics of the 111th Congress, which passed Obamacare. The arm twisting, secrecy, deals, and dark-of-night votes-it just didn’t look like the behavior we want from those who represent us.


I agree with Politico that Republicans are going to have to be careful. Demeanor is going to matter in the moves to defund and dismantle Obamacare. The Democrats know that the public is tired of congressional yelling and screaming–and they will use this to their advantage. 


There was another interesting number in the story, but it was buried–you had to go past the first click to find this it: 



The poll shows stronger support – 43 percent – for straight repeal, which is virtually impossible while Democrats control the Senate and the White House. Forty-seven percent of the public wants to expand the law or keep it in place (28 percent and 19 percent, respectively).


Well,well, I am wondering why the newspaper put the smaller figure–33 percent–up much higher. You’d almost think they didn’t to report what strong support repeal got. If this number reflects the public mood correctly-and other polls have put the pro-repeal percentage much higher-the Republicans still have a decent support. If they do the dance right, they might end up with more.