By William Warren
Despite the mainstream media’s attempts to downplay the national backlash against government-run health care, the word is out and the American people are clearly fed up with Barack Obama’s endless attempts to force “ObamaCare” down their throats.
The polling speaks for itself. The latest Rasmussen Reports survey indicates that a significant majority of Americans oppose the healthcare plan that the Democrat hegemony in Washington has proposed. This sentiment is clearly echoed in the latest Obama job approval poll from Gallup as well, in which the President finds himself firmly in hostile territory (47% disapprove, 46% approve).
Most interesting of all, however, is how this public opinion is playing out on a local level in places such as Benson, Arizona; Butler, Pennsylvania; or Southhaven, Mississippi. While the Democrats might be busy making a big splash in Washington, D.C., the ripples are being felt in places like these and many others across the nation. And the “ripples” are quite significant.
A recent batch of polling data regarding individual House Democrats in crucial swing districts indicates just how outraged their constituents are—and it all hinges on ObamaCare.
The polls, conducted by Pulse Opinion Research and commissioned by Americans for Limited Government, asked a sample of 400 voters in each district some very simple questions. The survey gauged voters’ overall views on health care reform, whether they would likely support a candidate who votes for health care reform, and whether they would likely support their specific Congressman should he or she vote for health care reform.
The results were overwhelmingly conclusive. In nearly every congressional district surveyed, voters made it clear that they do not support ObamaCare and will not vote for the incumbent Democrat should he or she vote in favor of ObamaCare. It’s almost insultingly obvious.
Simply put, never before has a single national issue played such an influential local role in district after district.
First of all, consider Earl Pomeroy of North Dakota. Ever since he took office in 1993, this Democrat has handedly been reelected again and again, even getting 61.97 percent of the vote in 2008. Although a Republican hasn’t held the congressional seat since 1980, everything may be about to change.
Representative Pomeroy, who voted “yes” on ObamaCare, is in big trouble according to the ALG poll. 50 percent of his voters say they will be less likely to vote for him if he continues to support the bill, whereas only 42 percent would support him. Likewise, 59 percent of independents would likely vote against their candidate should he vote for ObamaCare. Also of note is that voters in his distinct decisively oppose the bill by about a 2.5 to 1 margin.
Another “yes” vote for ObamaCare is Congressman Harry Mitchell of Arizona’s 5th District—and his numbers are even worse than Pomeroy’s. According to the poll, 60 percent of voters said they would be less likely to vote for Representative Mitchell in November if he continues to vote in favor of Obamacare. As with Pomeroy’s, voters in his district oppose the health care bill by a 2.76 to 1 margin.
A third one worth mentioning is Bill Owens, the newly elected Democrat in New York’s 23rd district. Although slightly safer than the two aforementioned congressmen, Representative Owens is hurting his already slim reelection chances by supporting ObamaCare. He may have been able to eke out a win last November by winning over the independents, but according to the ALG poll, a majority of Independent, unaffiliated voters will likely vote against Rep. Owens if he votes for ObamaCare this week, or next. Also, his district opposes the legislation by a nearly 2 to 1 margin.
Even Democrats who have already voted against ObamaCare are in trouble…simply by having a “D” next to their names and not taking a harder stand on the issue. 58 percent of Betsy Markey’s (D-CO4) constituents said they would vote against her if she votes in favor of ObamaCare. This includes a stunning 71 percent of independents.
Similarly, 66 percent of independent voters in Representative John Boccierri’s OH-16 district said they would not support him should he vote in favor of ObamaCare.
The full results of all 15 polls can be viewed here, including the polls’ crosstabs.
The lesson from these polls is rather simple: if any of these vulnerable Democrats want to survive politically, they must vote against ObamaCare. And they must do it proudly and decisively. It’s the only chance they’ve got.
Taking a halfhearted stand against the legislation won’t be enough. Voters are sick and tired and won’t accept any more excuses. Bold and decisive leadership—the kind of leadership that enthusiastically shouts “No!” to Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi, and Harry Reid and “Yes!” to the people—is what they want.
One very immediate way these Democrats can begin to make amends today is by thwarting the so-called “Slaughter Solution”, a maneuver that would “deem” ObamaCare legislation into law and circumvent a traditional up or down vote. As ALG News has previously reported, such a maneuver is blatantly unconstitutional and is a desecration of the American system of representative government.
Rep. Parker Griffith (a former Democrat, ironically enough) has sponsored a resolution to stop the “Slaughter Solution” in its tracks and every vulnerable Democrat would be wise to join alongside him.
Voters are not merely outraged with ObamaCare in and of itself, but outraged with the process that Democrats have gone about in this legislative escapade. From this new “Slaughter Solution”, backroom bribes, secret deals, changing the rules or ignoring the rules, the process is equally as corrupt as the product itself.
For these vulnerable Democrats in these crucial swing districts, the choice they make this week will have career-altering ramifications come November. The dilemma is as simple as it is seismic: kill the bill or kill their careers.
Even a Congressman should have enough common sense to make the right choice.
William Warren is the Creative Director of Americans for Limited Government.
