Recall the President? This time it's not just some zany idea from one of those Tea Party conservatives in the House; it's coming from a huge constituency that was responsible for his election.
Barack Obama was swept into office in 2008 and again in 2012 in large part because of overwhelming support from "millennials." He carried the youth vote with overwhelming margins of 66 percent in 2008 and 60 percent in 2012. However, results of a new public opinion survey conducted by Harvard University's Institute of Politics suggest that the marriage the White House thought would last forever may be on the rocks.
This headline from the National Journal says volumes:
"A majority of America's youngest adults would vote to recall the president."
And, it goes on to explain:
When asked if they would want to recall various elected officials, 45 percent of millennials said they would oust their member of Congress; 52 percent replied "all members of Congress" should go; and 47 percent said they would recall Obama. The recall-Obama figure was even higher among the youngest millennials, ages 18 to 24, at 52 percent.
While there is no provision for a public recall of U.S. presidents, the poll question revealed just how far Obama has fallen in the eyes of young Americans.
IOP (Harvard University's Institute of Politics) director Trey Grayson called the results a "sea change" attributable to the generation's outsized and unmet expectations for Obama, as well as their concerns about the economy, Obamacare and government surveillance.
Unsurprisingly, the President's signature legislation gets a similar thumbs-down rating from young adults – the ones that were supposed to be duped into paying a whole lot more for health insurance just because "He" said it was for the "greater good."
Again, from the National Journal report of the Harvard IOP findings:
According to the poll, 57 percent of millennials disapprove of Obamacare, with 40 percent saying it will worsen their quality of care and a majority believing it will drive up costs. Only 18 percent say Obamacare will improve their care. Among 18-to-29-year-olds currently without health insurance, less than one-third say they're likely to enroll in the Obamacare exchanges.
If that holds true, the financial house of cards that ObamaCare was built on will collapse. Not only will young Americans be disgusted and disillusioned, but every taxpayer is going to get stuck with the bill, which means even more angry voters.
Somebody is going to have to fix this mess, and that’s what November 2014 and 2016 will be for. Stay tuned.