Here's a representative from one of the nation's wealthiest counties, considering a run for U.S. Senate in 2010, who seriously doesn't understand the plight of ordinary Americans.
KING: This is not a major issue among the American people. I think the last poll showed 14 percent see health care reform as being a major issue. ...I think this is a metaphor of the president having gone too far, too fast, and really not living up to his campaign promises of governing from the center. But we have to avoid acting as if we won this battle. Right now the voters are turning somewhat against Barack Obama. It doesn’t mean they are coming toward us. We have to play this, I believe, very effectively but not be going for the kill."
Seems that part of the problem is that he doesn't understand how to read a survey. As Eric Kleefeld pointed out yesterday, the poll he cites asked something rather different:
King said that only 14% of Americans in a new poll say health care is the number one priority. He would appear to be referring to the new NBC/Wall Street Journal poll [diarist note: see p. 10], which does indeed give that figure. But pay close attention to the question -- it asks people about the number one priority, and it so happens that jobs are the number-one issue in this economy, way out front with 38%.
When combining first and second priorities, health care is at 32%, with the economy's combined scores at 62%. This puts them both well ahead of such other issues as national security and terrorism, the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars, and energy prices -- and nobody would argue that those aren't also major issues.
Another part of the problem is that Rep. King doesn't understand what's happening to his constituents. Or maybe he's just not listening. His district is divided between the very wealthy and struggling families facing foreclosure. Unemployment is rising, especially for families in the more modest towns. But since his district (NY-03) sits in the heart of the historic "Gold Coast" region of Long Island--Gatsby country--he may not be hearing from those towns.
After all, District 3 cuts across Nassau County, the with the eighth highest per capita income in the United States.
And money talks.