ObamaCare

 

Support for ObamaCare at 26%, lowest ever

By Dave Andrusko
Let’s take time to see if we can reconcile the two halves of this sentence. (It’s the lead from a story from the Associated Press.)

“Despite a late surge in sign-ups, support for President Barack Obama’s health care law is languishing at its lowest level since passage of the landmark legislation four years ago, according to a new poll.”

(That “lowest level” of support is a near rock-bottom 26%. More about that momentarily.)
One explanation is that people are so frightened by the uncertainty that is Obamacare, including a series of bogus “deadlines,” they are actually signing up.
Another more likely explanation is (as Tom Blumer suggests) that the latest “surge” is more camouflage.

The Obama Administration knows what you and I know: that “sign-ups” is not the same as paying the first premium. And “even though there is strong reason to believe that they are available or easily obtainable,” in Blumer’s words, there’s been a “virtual blackout on official figures relating to who has actually paid.”

If you are an Obama supporter—and especially if you are a Democrat who favors ObamaCare, let alone voted for it–the latest AP-Gfk survey numbers are truly scary.
But before take a peak at the numbers, there’s this amusing (attempted) caveat from AP. “The poll was taken before Thursday’s announcement by the White House that new health insurance markets have surpassed the goal of 6 million sign-ups, so it did not register the potential impact of that news on public opinion.”
All I can say is, if you believe that– after unyielding public opposition from Day One to ObamaCare– you’ll believe anything.
Okay, back to the numbers.
It’s not just that support is far outdistanced by opposition (43% to 26%), it’s the famous intensity factor.
The 26% approval is split exactly in half. 13% somewhat support and 13% strongly support.
By contrast of the 43% in opposition, only 12% somewhat oppose ObamaCare compared to 31% who strongly oppose.

Put these numbers together with what we talked about Thursday (Public’s “Disapproval of Obama’s Job Performance Reaches All-Time High”).
Nearly six in ten (59%) disapprove of Mr. Obama’s job performance, according to an Associated Press/ GFK survey. Just 41% expressed approval. Moreover a majority do not support him personally (51%). Only 42% of the 1,012 people surveyed do.
No wonder Democrats are distancing themselves from Obama.

Source: NRLC News