Hard to overstate how significant this is, via TPM,
The NBC/Wall Street Journal poll coming out later today will show opposition to the health care bill growing -- mainly from disappointed liberals, who are very much disappointed to see the public option getting thrown out.
The poll has 47% saying the Obama health care plan is a bad idea, to only 32% who say it's a good idea.
By way of reference, the prior NBC poll had support for the plan 38, and opposition at 41.
More from TPM
Chuck Todd writes on Twitter: "Most of the movement on the 'bad idea' comes from some of the president's core support groups, folks upset about lost public option." He also writes: "Still, large majorities of the president's core support groups believe his plan is a 'good idea,' but the margins have shrunk."
In addition, 44% now say it's better to not pass this bill -- seemingly a large bloc of conservatives, plus some liberals -- to 41% who say it's better that something pass: "First time NBC-WSJ poll had that upside down."
In a rational world, this poll would be enormously significant. There are very few, if any, examples of the Senate passing a bill this unpopular. In fact my guess is that you will see significant wavering of support among Lincoln, Landrieu and Bayh.
The irony is that they will be voting for a bill LESS POPULAR because of changes THEY demanded.
The temptation for liberals is to go along with the President on this bill out of fear that they will damage him in their opposition. BUT OPPOSING HIM MAY BE THE ONLY WAY TO PREVENT HIM FROM ADOPTING A HUGELY UNPOPULAR BILL.
I will update this with full details on the poll when they are released this evening.
Here are the full results:
http://online.wsj.com/...
Obama Approval/Disapproval 47-46 versus 51-42 in October
Handling of the economy was 50-42 positive in September, now is 42/51 negative.
Foreign Policy numbers mostly stable.
34% say this Congress is one of the worst in history - higher than said that in 1994.
45% say it is not acceptable for a plan to not include a public option.
But, 58% would find inclusion of a Medicare Buy in acceptable.
Update number 2
Is this decline related to HCR, or is it a function of a larger decline in Obama's ratings on the economy? I think it is related to HCR, but you can argue that the shift in HCR is about the same as the shift in the numbers on Obama's handling of the economy. In short, you could argue that perceptions about the state of the economy are dragging down Obama's other numbers (though not on foreign policy).
I think decline in support for hcr is a result of the loss of the Public Option, but the association should at least noted.
Update #3
Check out the numbers from the Washington Post poll in Arobd's diary:
http://www.dailykos.com/...