Health care reform euphoria notwithstanding the Democrats are in serious political trouble because of public opinion results such as this:
By an almost 2-to-1 margin Americans believe the economy has worsened rather than improved during the past year, according to a new Bloomberg Poll. “A sense of despair pervades perceptions of the economy and nation. Barely one-in-three Americans say the country is on the right track. Fewer than one in 10 say they believe the economy will be strong again within a year. Just 4 percent of Americans who cut back on spending during the recession now say they are confident enough to open their wallets, according to the poll, which has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.”
A Democrat who has long committed to opposing healthcare reform legislation has advised his fellow defectors that they should vote no early on Sunday and then immediately leave the House chamber. Otherwise, Rep. Gene Taylor (D-Miss.) told The Hill, they will be treated “like a piñata.”
The Republicans over hyped their prospects and fell hard, the Democrats might do the same in November. I expect the Republicans to largely stop talking about health care: remember the GST rollback?