One Little Survey Question Explains All of Politics


Jonathan Bernstein points to a new Kaiser survey that examines opposition to the individual mandate in Obamacare. Here’s what they found:

It remains among the least popular aspects of the law — with just a 35 percent approval rating. But when people are told that the mandate doesn’t affect most Americans because they already have coverage through an employer, support jumps to 62 percent.

It only takes a modest bit of reading between the lines to figure out what’s really going on here: when people find out that the mandate doesn’t apply to them personally, lots of them are suddenly OK with it. In case politics has always mystified you, that’s it in a nutshell. Now you know.

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YOUR GIFT DOUBLES THROUGH FRIDAY

Right now, every dollar you give goes twice as far—but only until Friday’s midnight deadline. This is the moment to make your support count double.

In a climate where journalists face mounting pressure to back down, stay silent, or soften their reporting, Mother Jones refuses to flinch. We’re pushing back against intimidation and delivering fierce, independent journalism that holds power accountable—no matter who’s trying to silence us.

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