You shouldn't be surprised to see that the Affordable Care Act's popularity is trending upward, as this USA Today/Gallup poll demonstrates:
The age demographics are particularly interesting: The younger cohort approves the bill most strongly -- in part because many of its reforms are aimed at them and they stand to benefit most from long-term cost-cutting. Seniors are the most likely to dislike the legislation. While this may represent a problem for the Democrats given seniors are generally reliable voters, the numbers likely reflect generally uneasy support for Democrats from seniors. This simply reinforces the need for the Democrats to turn out their 2008 voting coalition, especially young voters.
As I said, though, health care never looked like a bad election issue for the Democrats, despite constant Republican concern-trolling that the landmark legislation would ruin the majority's chances in 2010. It's a fact worth remembering as Republicans promise that other major agenda items -- notably energy legislation -- will be political poison for their colleagues across the aisle.
The real problem for the majority, however, continues to be dismal news about employment, where some 16 percent of workers are un- or under-employed. So long as the incumbents' management of the economy leaves this many Americans deservedly unsatisfied, other Democratic successes and Republican criticisms will matter very little.
-- Tim Fernholz
