As more and more concerned Americans make their first trip to a "town hall" meeting to voice their doubts about Obama’s proposed government takeover of health care, support for the risky experiment plunges. No wonder Democrats were working so hard this week to slander attendees and discourage people from attending meetings they couldn’t risk canceling.
Not that the opposition has stopped the bill. Democrats have clearly stated they will pass some form of a government takeover regardless of what voters think.
Libertarians have been consistent critics of government-run medicine, including the recent Republican-led massive expansion of taxpayer-funded prescription drug entitlements. Libertarians now urge Americans to attend a local town hall meeting and challenge their congressman and senator to sign the LP’s "Responsible Legislator Pledge" affirming they will not sign any health care takeover bill they have not read in full, and understand.
Town hall face-offs erode health support
Analysts predict Hill Democrats will pass a more ‘modest’ bill after return from recess
Public support for the Obama administration’s sweeping government health care reforms is declining as opponents continue to pack congressional town-hall meetings with some analysts suggesting the president may have to settle for more modest legislation.
Public-policy analysts say that nearly two weeks of intense and often angry town-hall debate back home during August recess has thrown the White House on the defensive and turned its hopes for a full-blown overhaul of the health care system into a steeper climb…
…Nevertheless, polls show there has been significant deterioration in the public’s once sizeable support for the administration’s reform plans as details emerged about what was in the pending House bill that Democratic leaders expect to bring up for a vote when Congress returns after Labor Day.
A Gallup Poll released Tuesday said it found that "about the same percentage (35 percent) would tell their congressional representative to vote for a new health care reform bill when Congress reconvenes in September as say they would tell their representative to vote against such a bill (36 percent)." The rest, 29 percent, had no opinion either way.
A Rasmussen poll said overall support for the bill had dropped to a new low of 42 percent, with 53 percent now opposed, up nine points since June…
…Initially, the White House and Mr. Obama’s Democratic allies struck back at angry protesters for disrupting the meetings, calling them "mobs," "extremists" and "thugs," and said the protests were "manufactured" and did not represent a majority of the country. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer, in a USA Today column Monday called them "un-American."
But the White House and Democrats noticeably softened their tone this week and embraced "vigorous debate" when it appeared the pitched battle over the town-hall meetings was drowning out their message on health care as public support was plummeting.
