New Low: Public Support for Obamacare Plummets

Guy Benson | December 13, 2010 2:17 PM

These nuggets are buried in our ever-growing thread on today's major Obamacare ruling, but I think they merit their own post. Not only has a crucial provision of the president's landmark "achievement" been

deemed unconstitutional in a thorough and "ironclad" ruling, public support for the overall legislation has dropped to new lows:

ABC News 12/13:

Coinciding with a federal judge’s ruling invalidating a key element of the health care reform law, an ABC News/Washington Post poll finds support for the landmark legislation at a new low – but division on what to do about it.
The law’s never been popular, with support peaking at just 48 percent in November 2009. Today it’s slipped to 43 percent, numerically its lowest in ABC/Post polling. (It was about the same, 44 percent, a year ago.) Fifty-two percent are opposed, and that 9-point gap in favor of opposition is its largest on record since the latest debate over health care reform began in earnest in summer 2009.

Rasmussen 12/13:

Time doesn’t seem to be winning the new national health care law any more friends. Most voters have favored repeal of the law every week since it was passed and support for repeal has now inched up to its highest level since mid-September. Many Americans remain concerned that the law will force them to change their health insurance coverage.
The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that 60% of Likely U.S. Voters at least somewhat favor repeal of the health care law while 34% are opposed. As has been the case since the law was first passed, those who favor repeal feel more passionately than those who want to keep the law--46% Strongly Favor repeal while just 23% who are Strongly Opposed.

These intersecting news items should imbue Congressional Republicans with a renewed sense of political purpose and courage as they prepare to launch a full frontal assault on the healthcare law in the 112th Congress. Their efforts will have the great distinction of being on the right side of history, the law, and public opinion.

Repeal and replace.