It takes remarkable hubris–not to mention a pronounced anti-democratic streak–to shove through Congress a bill that is wildly unpopular with the American people, and apparently getting more so every day. How unpopular? According to a CNN poll, a solid majority now opposes Obama-style health care reform. From the poll:
26. From everything you have heard or read so far, do you favor or oppose Barack Obama’s plan to reform health care? Favor 40%. Oppose, 54%
And get this, when you get into greater detail, more than 70% do not wish the bill passed anything close to its current form.
27. As you may know, several health care bills have been passed by committees in the U.S. House and Senate and they can be brought before Congress for debate and a final vote at any time. Which of the following do you think Congress should do:
Continue working on those bills this fall and make relatively minor changes before passing final legislation 26%
Continue working on those bills this fall but pass final legislation only if major changes are made 33%
Start work on entirely new bills that would not be ready until some time next year 24%
Stop working on any bills that would change the country’s health care system 15%No opinion 1%
That’s a whopping 72% against passage in its current form without major changes, wanting to start over, or not doing it at all. Only 26% can said to be happy with what is being done. A remarkable loss of the political debate–which for some representatives seems irrelevant to the passage of the bill–by President Obama, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and Majority Leader Harry Reid.
November 6th, 2009 | 11:17 pm
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by My Coalition, Hugh J'Ordeal. Hugh J'Ordeal said: RT @CO2HOG: Obamacare: Huge Majority Does Not Favor Current Bills http://bit.ly/15vPc6 [...]
November 7th, 2009 | 2:33 am
I told you that you cannot trust these people until congress has adjourned for the year.
November 7th, 2009 | 10:23 am
Last time I checked the US wasn’t run by opinion polls, but was a representative form of government. If people don’t like what their representatives are doing they can always elect new ones.
November 7th, 2009 | 1:12 pm
>>If people don’t like what their representatives are doing they can always elect new ones.>>
Not frequently enough to prevent the damage they can do.
November 7th, 2009 | 1:58 pm
Damage of this sort can’t be undone by subsequent elections – especially under this anti-democratic 60% “super-majority” Democrats invented for just that purpose.
Therefore, any representative failing to observe the views on healthcare expressed by over 7o% of Americans won’t get the chance to continue in that capacity after 2010. Ideally their own self-interest will preclude our inability to repeal this nightmare later, following the path you so snidely suggest is the only appropriate option.
It is not too much to say representatives should consider this a threat to their job security, and act accordingly.
November 7th, 2009 | 6:53 pm
[...] Obamacare would be toast. The only reason it is going to pass the House is that the majority–having badly lost the national political debate–are sticking their collective fingers in the eyes of the American people. Hey, [...]
November 8th, 2009 | 3:16 pm
“The majority–having badly lost the national political debate–are sticking their collective fingers in the eyes of the American people.”
Don’t worry; we’ll all have mandated vision care before very long. :-)
November 8th, 2009 | 11:27 pm
Looks like Obamacare won’t last very long. I predict by 2012 it will enjoy the same esteem as Jimmy Carter and the same popularity as war hero Kerry.
November 9th, 2009 | 11:38 pm
HistoryWriter: “Last time I checked the US wasn’t run by opinion polls, but was a representative form of government.”
Great! That was George W. Bush’s philosophy! Are you beginning to see his wisdom now?
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