Sherrod Brown: we won, you lost, get over it

I can see why Ohio elected Sherrod Brown to the US Senate.  It was clearly his unique leadership ability:

“So this is a bipartisan bill. Republicans say they didn’t win on the big questions, but they lost the election on the big questions,” he said. “They lost we won, but we’re right where the public is. That’s what the elections said, that’s what the polls say now.”

This is the standard Democratic answer these days.  President Obama, after all, started the we won, you lost, so shut up style of leadership.

I would offer that a great many voters did not in fact vote for Democrats so they could pass as many massive spending and government take over bills as humanly possible.

But put that aside for the moment, are the polls really on Sherrod Brown’s and the Democrats’ side in this debate? While it seems that a plurality to a slim majority can be seen to favor some aspects of the Democrat plan the situation is very fluid and there is no clear mandate.

The latest USA Today/Gallup poll finds that [emphais mine]

more Americans disapprove (50%) than approve (44%) of the way U.S. President Barack Obama is handling healthcare policy. There is a tremendous partisan gap in these views, with 74% of Democrats but only 11% of Republicans approving. Independents are more likely to disapprove than to approve of Obama’s work on healthcare.

The latest Rasmussen Reports

Sixty-one percent (61%) of voters nationwide say that cost is the biggest health care problem facing the nation today. The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 21% believe the lack of universal health insurance coverage is a bigger problem.

NBC News/Wall Street Journal Poll

“Turning to the issue of health care: From what you have heard about Barack Obama’s health care plan, do you think his plan is a good idea or a bad idea? If you do not have an opinion either way, please just say so.”
						.
		Good Idea	Bad Idea	Do Not Have an Opinion	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	7/24-27/09	36	42	17	5
	6/12-15/09	33	32	30	5
	4/23-26/09	33	26	34	7

I am not saying the public sentiment doesn’t favor the Democrats in some areas.  When you ask big picture questions the public seems to favor mandating insurance for everyone no matter the pre-existing conditions and a Medicare type program that offered government insurance to anyone who needs it or couldn’t get private insurance.

But I think the problem here is a disconnect between these charitable sentiments and the actual consequences of the policies.  On the other hand, the public also seems to understand that this type of reform will cost them money:

“From what you’ve heard or read, do you think the health care legislation under consideration in Congress will or will not benefit you personally?”
						.
		Will	Will Not	Unsure
		%	%	%
	ALL	31	59	10
	Republicans	20	73	7
	Democrats	41	48	11
	Independents	29	61	10
						.
“From what you’ve heard or read, do you think the health care legislation under consideration in Congress will increase health care costs for most Americans, decrease health care costs for most Americans, or will it have no effect on health care costs for most Americans?”
						.
		Increase	Decrease	No Effect	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	7/24-28/09	59	15	16	10

Given all of the polling and debate I think Sherrod Brown’s arrogance and petulance is unwarranted.  The public may share some of the ideals of the Democrats but they are clearly concerned about the direction things are headed and they are not convinced any of this will benefit them or save them money.

But, hey, if the Democrats are convinced that their majority entitles them to ram through whatever health care bill they want I guess they can go ahead and try.

They might be surprised, however, at how quickly the public will turn on them.