Last month, a CNN poll on health reform found that about a quarter of those who opposed the reform did so because it wasn't liberal enough, "including about twice as many independents as Democrats who wish it were more liberal."
Another just released Marist poll reinforces that finding, among other results. Greg Sargent reports on the health care findings.
No one should be under any illusions: The health law is unpopular. But the picture is complicated. Marist:
Which one of the following comes closest to your opinion about what Congress should do with the 2010 health care law:
Let it stand: 14
Change it so it does more: 35
Change it so it does less: 13
Repeal it completely: 30
More registered voters want the law expanded than fully repealed, with the latter category amounting to less than a third. A total of 49 percent want to let it stand or change it so it does more, versus 43 percent who want to scale it back or get rid of it entirely.
Repeal isn't going to happen, though Republicans will continue to chip away at the law in whatever way they can, from even more draconian abortion restrictions to refusing to fund implementation of components of the law. But the law will not be repealed. Unfortunately, an expansion of the law isn't going to be happening, either.
Nonetheless, it's important to keep these real numbers in mind when you hear about our "center-right" nation that is opposed to a "government takeover" of the healthcare sector.