"Obama Gets Poor Marks on Healthcare." So ominously read a heading in a Gallup poll released [1] Monday about America's opinion of pending healthcare reform legislation.
The news was not good for Democrats [2] and the Obama administration hoping to pass something before the Christmas break.
Quite the contrary, despite all the efforts of press members to sway the public concerning this matter, Gallup found Americans not only growing less and less interested in this current bill, but also giving the President his lowest approval rating to date concerning his handling of this issue (h/t Ed Morrissey [3]):
"Americans currently tilt against Congress' passing healthcare legislation, with 49% saying they would advise their member to vote against a bill (or they lean that way) and 44% saying they would advocate a vote in favor of the bill (or lean toward advising a yes vote)."
What is indeed interesting is the abrupt change from October when those in favor outnumbered the opposition by ten points. That's a staggering about-face in less than two months.
This should also be quite concerning to the Obama-loving press: "Independents oppose passage of a bill by 53% to 37%."
But here's the money quote that'll really give his media sycophants nightmares:
"The poll also finds 40% of Americans approving of President Obama's handling of healthcare policy, while 53% disapprove. This is slightly more negative than what Gallup found from July through September, and represents his worst review to date on this issue...Independents are nearly twice as likely to disapprove (58%) as to approve (33%)."
As polls have been finding in the past couple of months, Independents are moving away from Obama and the Democrats in droves.
In the end, if we had an honest media, the following conclusion would be echoed in our papers and our evening news programs:
Despite the considerable efforts of Congress and the president to pass health insurance reform, the public remains reluctant to endorse that goal.
Indeed.