After one of the most bruising election cycles in Democrat Party history, most are blaming Obamacare in part for voters’ discontent with the Obama administration and its policies.
And with the Republican Party assessing how well it performed in the midterm election, the question on the minds of those in charge of strategy is whether more mileage can be had with voters over the continued Obamacare fallout.
The answer to that question, if polls are to be believed, is yes. According to a recent Kaiser Family Foundation poll from last week, at least 46% of Americans still have a negative view of Obamacare. The Real Clear Politics average gives the ACA an even lower rating with 39.3% in favor of and 51.6% opposing the law.
The fact that that number is down a few points from its high just before the November election likely reflects that many voters feel they let off some steam by voting for Republicans in the ballot box.
The problem for the Democrat Party is that the issue isn’t going away; in fact, the recurring problems with the policy threaten to inflame the discontent as we approach the 2016 election cycle. This reality could pose a serious challenge for the party as it begins plans to retake the U.S. Senate.
Of the many problems, looming largest is that the greatest discontent among voters with Obamacare is the segment represented by middle class whites, which Democrats are hemorrhaging at an historic rate. If the trend continues, there won’t be enough minority and young voters to make up for the loss in middle class support.
