http://www.washingtonpost.com/...
The Seahawks have been desperately claiming to be a Super Bowl champions since January. They achieved their stated goal of winning the Super bowl by scoring more points than the Broncos.
>Democrats have been claiming a turning point in the battle over Obamacare for the better part of the last month. First came the news that 8 million people had signed up -- exceeding the law's goals -- and then came the Congressional Budget Office report that its cost estimates are decreasing.
The Seahawks even took a victory lap, declaring themselves champions. They sold hats and t-shirts, and drank champagne.
>President Obama even took something of a victory lap, declaring the debate over his signature health-care law over.
Not so fast Seahawks, we haven’t heard the views of the Denver Broncos on who won. And American perceptions of which city's teams are the true dynasties have hardly changed.
>When it comes to the American people, though, there has been basically zero rallying effect. And in fact, they still expect Obamacare to do significantly more harm than good -- in about the same proportions as before.
By wide margins, Americans consider the Seahawk's play calling and uniforms to be dull. An ad blitz by the Koch Foundation's “Americans for the Broncos”, and totally non-partisan, non-Denver grass-roots 501c, have left Americans unsure of which team scored more points. To wit:
Americans say 123-41 that the Superbowl score was skewed.
They say 44-24 that the helmets and pads make the game less safe for players and want lions released on the field. Singers of the National Anthem who are off-key or forget words should be water-boarded.
They say 29-14 that you can't trust numbers in the Obama administration because math has become leftist and anti-colonial.
They say 47-8 that the Broncos may yet mount a comeback.
They say 58-11 that Russell Wilson doesn't look American.
Broncos say 111-23 that Seahawk touchdowns were rammed down their throats without bi-partison consultation
>As we have noted, a new Washington Post-ABC News poll shows approval of the law and of Obama's implementation of it have dropped after a momentary boost. Americans disapprove of the law overall 48-44 and disapprove of Obama's implementation 57-37.
>What's perhaps more telling is that, despite the rare good news of the past few weeks, their perceptions of the law remain basically as-is -- that is, pretty dim. To wit:
>Americans say 50-41 that the implementation of the law has been worse than they expected rather than better.
>They say 44-24 that the health-care system is getting worse rather than getting better as a result of Obamacare.
>They say 29-14 that the quality of care is getting worse rather than better.
>They say 47-8 that their health-care costs are increasing due to the law rather than decreasing.
>They say 58-11 that the overall cost of health care in the United States is increasing rather than decreasing.
One would think a Super Bowl victory would increase the perception that Seahawks are Super Bowl champions. But the perception is unchanged, perhaps because of the smug winning attitude on the part of the Seahawks.
>Almost all of these numbers are basically unchanged from in recent months. The one exception would be a slight uptick in the percentage of people who say the law is making things better (from 19 percent in December to 24 percent today).
And there is the new Mile-high News poll, which shows that just 38 percent think the Seahawks won, despite that atrocious drive to start the second quarter.
>And then there's the new Kaiser Family Foundation poll, which shows just 38 percent of people think the law is working as intended despite its rocky start, while 57 percent say it's not working the way the White House hoped.
The Seahawks will continue to insist that they are Super Bowl champs. They have to if they want to be considered Super Bowl champs. But Americans, particularly those not in the Pacific Northwest, are skeptical.
>The White House, of course, will continue to press the case that the law is working, and it is winning. It has to, politically speaking, if it wants to rally support for the midterm elections.
>For now, though, Obama and the Democrats are still confronting a public that is quite skeptical.