It Ain't Turning Out That Way
President Obama, Speaker Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Reid, virtually every Democrat in Congress, and lots of the press seem to have believed that ObamaCare would become more popular after it was finally enacted. "Voters like success," as Ezra Klein explained in the Washington Post on March 23, day the President signed the legislation, "the media covers winners more positively than losers, and people take their cues from outcomes."
Has opposition to ObamaCare indeed been replaced by enthusiasm for the program? Or at least faded? Not at all.
In a poll conducted on March 23 and 24, Rasmussen found that Americans favored repeal of the health care law by 55 to 42 percent. In a poll conducted on July 1, after they had had more than three months in which to "take their cues from outcomes," Americans favored repeal of the legislation by 60 to 32 percent.
- Comment (9)
- · Quote
- · UnfollowFollow (1)
Comments :
Jul '10
Re: It Ain't Turning Out That Way
I wonder if this change (or just be rolled into) the potential effects of Dr. Donald Berwick on Medicare/Medicaid? I think single-payer is a lot closer than anyone might think. Henniger hit the nail on the head with a few days ago in the WSJ.
Jun '10
Re: It Ain't Turning Out That Way
I think it will only get worse. Last week, my law firm gave a free seminar to employers on things they need to do to comply with the health care bill. Totally aside from what employers decide to do about their healthcare plans, the compliance issues are daunting. No one in the audience seemed to be very happy.
It makes we wonder if it isn't a stealth jobs stimulus program for HR departments. The problem, of course, is that none the money spent on health care compliance causes any more widgets to be made (it only makes them more expensive to the consumer). The money a business spends just complying with the act is nothing but rathole money.
May '10
Re: It Ain't Turning Out That Way
The March 23 quote from Ezra Klein, that "the media covers winners more positively than losers," reveals a lot. Long before the bill's legislative victory, the media would have been hard pressed to cover Obamacare in a more positive light. Whatever the political outcome, the idea was a winner in the eyes of left-wing reporters - as indicated by Klein's description of trillions in entitlement spending as "success."
Regardless of how the media planned to carry water for Obamacare after it had passed, they should never have expected to talk Americans out of our concern for our health insurance - let alone our paychecks!
May '10
Re: It Ain't Turning Out That Way
Of course, if you ask Bill Press, the fact that Americans don't like Obamacare is probably just proof of its virtue.
May '10
Re: It Ain't Turning Out That Way
Yes, there's been a steady drip of unpopular details of Obamacare in the press, but, still, the bill remains an unknown to most voters; they either have faith that the Pres did the right thing, or they don't. Therefore, the more likely explanation for its drop in popularity is that the bill's approval rating is tracking Obama's.
May '10
Re: It Ain't Turning Out That Way
Scott Reusser: Yes, there's been a steady drip of unpopular details of Obamacare in the press, but, still, the bill remains an unknown to most voters; they either have faith that the Pres did the right thing, or they don't. Therefore, the more likely explanation for its drop in popularity is that the bill's approval rating is tracking Obama's. · Jul 15 at 7:08pm
A reasonable point, Scott, but what we have here is a cause v. effect problem. We don't know that the Obama approval rating isn't falling because of Obamacare, as opposed to the other way around. I suspect that a majority chunk of TVG's lost popularity is a result of Our Health Salvation.
May '10
Re: It Ain't Turning Out That Way
Probably a vicious (virtuous?) circle, where effects and causes are indistinguishable.
May '10
Re: It Ain't Turning Out That Way
It's open enrollment time at my firm. My company continues to share the cost with me 70/30, but medical premiums are up 15% y/y, dental premiums up 5%. Deductibles increased $300 per individual and $600 per family. No change that I can see.
May '10
Re: It Ain't Turning Out That Way
Trace, he was right- you haven't lost your current plan! (yet, that is; much more of this and you will want to)