Democrats, Obama stuck with unpopular law

Scott Rasmussen:

The U.S. Supreme Court's decision that President Obama's health care law is constitutional keeps it alive for now. But it's important to remember that the law has already lost in the court of public opinion. The Supreme Court ruling is a temporary reprieve more than anything else.

In March, I wrote that the health care law was doomed even if it survived the court. Looking at the data today, it's hard to draw any other conclusion. 

Fifty-four percent of voters nationwide still want to see the law repealed. That's going to be a heavy burden for the Obama campaign to bear. 

It's hard to believe that public opinion will change between now and Election Day because opinion on the law hasn't budged in two years. In fact, support for repeal now is exactly the same as it was when the law first passed. 

Consistently, for the past two years, most voters have expressed the view that the law will hurt the quality of care, increase the cost of care and increase the federal deficit. 

As a result, the fact that the law remains in place may end up hurting the president's chances for re-election more than helping them. It gives Mitt Romney another easy target and one that can be tied directly into concerns about the economy. 

If Romney wins, there is virtually no chance the existing health care law will survive.

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The intensity level of opponents of the law is significantly greater than that of its supporters.  Democrats may try to reframe the debate about the act, but they have already lost that battle.  They are not going to persuade opponents to change sides.

Democrats have also complained that the administration has not done enough to explain how wonderful the act is.  This is another fantasy.  Obama gave numerous speeches in support of the legislation, including a joint session of Congress and his and the legislation's poll numbers dropped with each speech.  The funding of the bill also provided for promotion of the act and that has not changed opinions.  On top of that the recent attempts to force Catholic institutions to go against their conscience has lost support from those institutions and congregants.

Democrats may also try to say that Romney supported a similar plan in Massachusetts.  That will be unimportant to voters who want the law repealed.  For those voters Romney is a better option than Obama who wants to keep it.

What the court has done is energized Obama's opposition in what was a tight race.  Voters are much more interested in getting rid of this monstrosity than they are in esoteric arguments about outsourcing.