Of Buried Ledes and Elephants in the Living Room

February 27, 2012 | Filed under Buried Lede Of The Day,Constitutional Issues,Entitlement Culture | Posted by

So, Gallup has been polling on Obamacare.

Their headline?

 

Americans Divided on Repeal of 2010 Healthcare Law

Majority of Republicans strongly favor repeal if a Republican is elected president

 

As “news” goes both the headline and the subhead fall into the “water is wet” category.

The real news is buried at the bottom.

 

Americans Do Not Think Individual Mandate Passes Legal Muster

The Supreme Court next month will hear legal challenges to the healthcare law, which are focused on the law’s requirement that all Americans purchase health insurance or pay a fine. Americans overwhelmingly believe the “individual mandate,” as it is often called, is unconstitutional, by a margin of 72% to 20%.

Even a majority of Democrats, and a majority of those who think the healthcare law is a good thing, believe that provision is unconstitutional.

As you may know, the Supreme Court will hear arguments next month concerning a requirement in the healthcare law that every American must buy health insurance or pay a fine. Regardless of whether you favor or oppose the law, do you think this requirement is constitutional or unconstitutional? Among all Americans, by party ID, and by view of healthcare law, February 2012

A series of lower-court rulings have so far disagreed as to whether the provision violates the Constitution.

 

Ahem.  Seventy-Two percent of Americans agreeing on anything political is not just news, it’s Big News.  Here we have 72% convinced that Obamacare’s individual mandate is Unconstitutional.

More troubling is the break down.  54% of those who favor Obamacare do so despite believing that the Individual Mandate is Unconstitutional.

Reflect on that for a moment.

More than half of those in favor of Obamacare agree that at least one of its provisions is Unconstitutional, yet they are still in favor of it.

What other Constitutional protections or restrictions are they willing to overlook to accomplish their policy goals?

 

“A house divided against itself cannot stand.”

 

Hat Tip: Weasel Zippers

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Posted by on February 27, 2012.
Filed under Buried Lede Of The Day, Constitutional Issues, Entitlement Culture.
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  • http://proof-proofpositive.blogspot.com/ Proof

    Cognitive dissonance, thy name is Liberal.

  • SoBeRight

    I love the way you folks embrace polls — except when they show your viewpoint is losing.

    I hope SCOTUS can count all the chads before they rule on this matter, Oh, wait, you mean it’s not a matter to be settled by a popular vote – it’ll be decided on its merits and the law?

    Wow, what was the point of this post then? Oh yeah, I refer you back to my first paragraph.

    Any other meaningless news out there, Rodney?

    • GarandFan

       ”…it’ll be decided on its merits and the law.”

      And what will your opinion be if it’s found unconstitutional?

      • http://wizbangblog.com/author/rodney-graves/ Rodney G. Graves

         When, on both 1st and 10th Amendment grounds.

    • http://profiles.yahoo.com/u/EU5DQWQTTHTPO4A4ZYSL3AAV2U Adjoran

       It’s shameful the way he forces you to come here and read this stuff.

      You should probably just hang yourself – that would show him!

    • http://www.wizbangblog.com David Robertson

      I suppose that your comment about SCOTUS refers to the presidential election of 2000, when SCOTUS ruled that Al Gore had violated the U.S. Constitution. Oh, the US Presidency has never been settled by a national “popular” vote. It is settled by the Electoral College.

      Anyway, nothing in your comment contradicts the result of the aforementioned Gallup poll. It says what it says, and it says that the majority of Democrats polled believe Obamacare to be unconstitutional.

      • http://wizbangblog.com/author/rodney-graves/ Rodney G. Graves

         56% of Democrats believe Obamacare’s individual mandate to be contra-Constitutional, and 54% of those who think Obamacare is a good idea still hold the individual mandate to be contra-Constitutional.

      • SoBeRight

        Polls are meaningless on SCOTUS issues. All that matters is what the 9 justices decide, and really only 5 matter if those 5 agree.

        So millions of people can think ObamaCare is the greatest thing – but it matters not a squat.

        See? It’s a meaningless on a meaningless subject, and yes, nothing I said changes its meaningless-ness.

        • http://proteinwisdom.com/ McGehee

          nothing I said changes its meaningless-ness.

          You do seem to be an expert on meaninglessness.

        • Gmacr1

          And the SCOTUS is not the end all, be all either.
          Legislation can overturn any ruling they make.

        • LiberalNitemare

          See? It’s a meaningless on a meaningless subject, and yes, nothing I said changes its meaningless-ness. 

          Just like every other time you’ve posted.

  • Meiji Man

    Wow, more then half of people who support Obamacare are okay with it as long as they get their free healthcare…

    On a Side note, anyone ever notice how many fat smokers are pro Obamacare?

    • ackwired

      Actually if it was “free health care” there would be no need for the individual mandate to purchase it.  I think that most people who favor Obamacare do so because they feel that the market has failed.  Health insurance is not available to many, and it seldom pays for a significant health problem.  Before the housing bubble burst, the most frequent cause of bankruptcy was medical bills that the insurance company failed to pay.

      Unfortunately, it was also the insurance companies that insisted on the individual mandate. 

      There may be some justification for their feeling that the market has failed them.

      • Walter_Cronanty

        There is no such thing as “free health care.”  It’s just a matter of who pays, when they pay and how much they pay.  What you really mean is: “Actually if it was ‘health care somebody else pays for’ there would be no need for the individual mandate to purchase it.”

        • ackwired

          Of course, you are right, Walter.  However, Meiji Man believed that Obamacare provided free health care.  I thought that it would be best to respond using his terminology.

      • Meiji Man

        I think that most people who couch their desire for free stuff like like healthcare start blabbering about “The market Failing them”

        The market didn’t fail them, they failed to get their fat bloated Twinkie filled ass of the couch and earn healthcare.

        • ackwired

          You are still very confused.  Obamacare is not free.  It is a law that makes health insurance available to most and health insurance is purchased.

          Health insurance is not earned.  It is purchased.

          • Meiji Man

            That you do not understand that you earn something you purchased shows that you do not understand the concept. This means you are not worth my time to talk to you about these things. 

            Good day

      • Meiji Man

        I think that most people who couch their desire for free stuff like like healthcare start blabbering about “The market Failing them”

        The market didn’t fail them, they failed to get their fat bloated Twinkie filled ass of the couch and earn healthcare.

      • http://www.facebook.com/people/Ryan-Murphy/100001624276605 Ryan Murphy

        There has not been a free market in health insurance, and will not be until A:  ALl specific coverage mandates are eliminated, actually allowing people to have the plan they want instead of the plan the government wants them to have and B: Until they are allowed to buy their insurance from whatever state they want regardless of where they now live.

        • ackwired

          I would question that either of these items caused insurance companies to refuse coverage to some peole or to refuse payment when serious illnesses occur.  I think these are the two major areas where the market has failed to provide a legitimate service.

  • http://wizbangblog.com/author/rodney-graves/ Rodney G. Graves

    The elephant still remains.

    54% of those who support Obamacare do so despite believing it to be contra-Constititonal.

    • Brucehenry

      Wasn’t it Wizbang who agreed with Herman Cain that 50% of voters are stupid or ignorant?

      If that’s true, and I think you think so, why are you surprised at these numbers?

      Hey, just for grins, is there a major difference between “contra-Constitutional” and “un-Constitutional” in your book, Rodney? I’d be interested in seeing you expound on that.

      • http://wizbangblog.com/author/rodney-graves/ Rodney G. Graves

         Bruce, why are you here?

        • http://proteinwisdom.com/ McGehee

          He’s one of the 50%.

        • Brucehenry

          Awww, I’m sorry, Rodney, I thought we had kinda bonded over the brouhaha regarding Paul’s lame attempt at “satire” this past weekend. You even “liked” one of my comments.

          Thought maybe you were willing to let bygones be bygones. I see I was wrong.

          Since you are evidently afraid to have me comment on your threads, I’ll buzz off. At least for a while.

           Hey, see if you can get TWB or Mr Huston to post something interesting soon, whaddaya say?

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_W6UJJOM4PP4XLSBG6N4LROVSQE Retired Military

    The only thing I care about polls are how skewed they are.  I looked at the demographics and saw squat as far as a breakdown by numbers who was democrat, republican independant or others.  Note I am not saying a breakdown of how they answered the questions but what political philosophy they identify themselves at.  Generaly polls heavily favor democrats over republicans in their demographics.  If that holds true with the results above than the results are really bad for Obama.

    • http://wizbangblog.com/author/rodney-graves/ Rodney G. Graves

      RM,

      I think both Obama and Obamacare need to go.  But that’s not the elephant in the living room.

      What I find shocking, and dangerous to the Republic, are the 54% of Obamacare supporters who agree that it’s contra-Constititional but who still support it.  That’s 24% of the population who want what they want and don’t care that what they want is unconstitutional.

    • http://wizbangblog.com/author/rodney-graves/ Rodney G. Graves

      RM,

      I think both Obama and Obamacare need to go.  But that’s not the elephant in the living room.

      What I find shocking, and dangerous to the Republic, are the 54% of Obamacare supporters who agree that it’s contra-Constititional but who still support it.  That’s 24% of the population who want what they want and don’t care that what they want is unconstitutional.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_W6UJJOM4PP4XLSBG6N4LROVSQE Retired Military

    The only thing I care about polls are how skewed they are.  I looked at the demographics and saw squat as far as a breakdown by numbers who was democrat, republican independant or others.  Note I am not saying a breakdown of how they answered the questions but what political philosophy they identify themselves at.  Generaly polls heavily favor democrats over republicans in their demographics.  If that holds true with the results above than the results are really bad for Obama.