After the Supreme Court ruling that upheld most of his health care law, President Obama claimed that the decision was a “victory for people all over the country.” However, public opinion polls that show that a majority of Americans don’t want Obamacare.
RealClearPolitics has compiled polling data since the bill was passed in March 2010, and the numbers are telling. The average of all polling from March 10, 2012, to August 5, 2012, shows support for repeal of Obamacare at 49.8 percent, with 42.2 percent opposed.
The public’s attitude toward Obamacare has remained consistent over time. A CNN/Opinion Research poll conducted in the days leading up to the bill’s signing showed that a majority of the people, 59 percent, opposed the legislation.
Over a year later, Americans’ opinion didn’t change. A Rasmussen poll taken less than three weeks before the 2010 midterm elections showed a near-record 61 percent supporting a full repeal of Obamacare. The American people reiterated their disdain for the law in the voting booth, purging Congress of many of the Members who voted in favor of Obamacare.
As the law faced several constitutional challenges before the Supreme Court, polling continued to show strong opposition. Respondents of a CBS News/New York Times poll taken as the Supreme Court began oral arguments in March 2012 found that 47 percent disapproved of the law.
Even after the Court upheld most of the provisions, polls showed that Americans still believed it was wrong for the country. In the days immediately following the ruling, both a Rasmussen poll and CNN/Opinion Research poll found that 52 percent of Americans supported repeal of the law.
The American people didn’t want Obamacare two years ago, and they certainly don’t want it now. One Gallup poll found a majority of “Americans say the law will make things worse rather than better for taxpayers, businesses, doctors, and those who currently have health insurance.”
It’s time for Congress and the President to start listening, repeal Obamacare, and replace it with common-sense reforms. Read The Heritage Foundation’s plan here.
