The latest Kaiser tracking poll on Obamacare is out, and there hasn’t been a lot of movement since last month. Unsurprisingly, most people believe the rollout was botched; that enrollment failed to meet expectations; and that the law isn’t working as planned. I expect that these attitudes will soften over time as horror stories start to recede and evidence of Obamacare’s success begins to percolate into the public consciousness—though, needless to say, that might happen slowly while the Kochs and their allies are pouring hundreds of millions of dollars into their campaigns to persuade voters of exactly the opposite.
However, attitudes have already softened in one key area: repeal. In December, sentiment for keeping the law was slim: keeping and improving Obamacare beat out repeal by only 43 to 42 percent. Today, Obamacare commands substantial support, 58 to 35 percent. The public may still harbor some doubts, but they’re increasingly tired of the debate and accept that the answer to Obamacare’s problems is to improve it, not to burn it to the ground.
