In an interview with Newsmax.TV today, pollster Scott Rasmussen of Rasmussen Reports says "The conservative interest in the election was already much higher than that of moderates and liberals. It went up to really stratospheric levels right after the [Supreme Court's Obamacare] ruling. We don't know if that will continue or if it's just a temporary response to the news cycle."
The issue has really energized conservatives. What is most important is that Republicans must make the case that the unpopular Obamacare will be a further drain on America's disappointing economic recovery since the economy still tops the list of voter concerns.
"Anything that can be tied to the economy is going to be an important part of the debate," observed Rasmussen, founder and president of Rasmussen Reports. "If Mitt Romney and the Republicans are able to make the case that the healthcare law is one reason the economy is struggling, well that will certainly help." The same goes for energy — and in fact all issues.
It's the economy, stupid.
More than half of the country — 52% of American voters — believe that Obamacare should be repealed. Rasmussen said:
"That number hasn't changed much over the past week. In fact, it hasn't changed much over the past two years. From the day the law was passed, a majority of American voters have said we want to see it repealed. And there's really not much that would change that. The support has been so consistent.
"The Democrats in Congress passed it despite popular opposition. They continued to believe that somehow it would get popular over time. It didn't. This is not a question of re-litigating or re-debating the healthcare law. That is over. The question is now whether the government will respond to a majority of voters or it will continue to move on its own direction."
He predicted that there is virtually no chance the healthcare law will survive if GOP nominee Romney wins the election. Rasmussen also predicted that even if "Obama is somehow re-elected this fall, and brings in Democrats with him to control the Senate, the law will still be in trouble. It is simply unpopular with voters and that will call for some major change."
Even the Supreme Court's popularity appears to have taken a hit by its handling of the Obamacare case.
The percentage of Americans who said the Supreme Court was doing good job went from 36% before the ruling to 33% after the ruling. Those who thought the court was doing a poor job went from 17% before the ruling to 28% after the ruling. Rasmussen explained: "They're in the growing belief that the justices are pursuing their own agenda rather than being impartial and a growing belief that the court is too liberal rather than too conservative."
Of course, if the Republicans can screw up this opportunity, we can count on them to do just that as the GOP has a unique talent of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.
~Eowyn
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