Public Opinion

The Struggle for Public Opinion:

Commentary notes some polling:

In the survey, only 33 percent say President Obama’s health-reform effort is a good idea, versus 46 percent who consider it a bad idea. That result is essentially unchanged from last month’s poll. However, the number saying that Obama’s health plan is a bad idea has increased 20 percentage points since April, when the public supported the reform effort by a 33-26 percent margin.

So, in April, only 59% of voters had any particular opinion about health care reform. A good 41% didn't yet know how they felt about it.

Today, however, 79% of voters have an opinion... and every single one of them who has decided since April is opposed.

Right? I mean, it's possible that some people were in the 33% in April, fell out by now, and have been replaced by "new" supporters. But in spite of nine months of campaigning for this monster, essentially not one single net supporter has been added. The anti-health-reform side has captured the entire shift in opinion.

This ought to be a mild signal to Washington. A hint, you know, of which way the people would like the Congress to vote.