Lies Do Work For a While

So the vast lying campaign has worked, sort of....

While 60% think Health Care in America needs either a "complete overhaul" or "major reform" (instead of only "minor reform" or less), a WallStreetJournal/NBC poll shows majorities of Americans believe current proposals for health care reform "likely":

Will give health insurance coverage to illegal immigrants ......... 55%

Will lead to a government takeover of the health care system .... 54%

Will use taxpayer dollars to pay for women to have abortions .... 50%

and even a large group believes:

Will allow the government to make decisions about
when to stop providing medical care to the elderly ...................... 45%

But...there is an additional interesting result that shows up in several polls.

While a slim majority, 53%, "favor" "strongly" or "somewhat" the "Obama" health reform plan when it is summarized (and contrast this to the only 36% who thought the Obama plan was a "good idea" before seeing this brief summary):

"The plan requires that health insurance companies cover people with pre-existing medical conditions. It also requires all but the smallest employers to provide health coverage for their employees, or pay a percentage of their payroll to help fund coverage for the uninsured. Families and individuals with lower- and middle-incomes would receive tax credits to help them afford insurance coverage. Some of the funding for this plan would come from raising taxes on wealthier Americans."

...and while only 41% "approve" of "the job Obama is doing in handling the issue of health care reform"...

for Republicans, on the other hand, the effects of certain over-the-top rhetoric are already starting to come home to roost for the entire party:

Do you generally approve or disapprove of the way that Republicans in Congress are handling the issue of health care reform?

Approve ............................................ 21%

Disapprove ....................................... 62%


Ouch!

But...what exactly did certain Republicans expect to be the consequences of their rhetoric? Do they think they can just make any assertion, however distorted, or even use outright fabrications, and not have consequences?

Believe me, there are consequences for making up dramatic distortions.

We are starting to see a some part of those outcomes I think.

This is a good thing I believe for the Republican Party. It would be good for those who stretch the truth to be ousted, and allow better thinkers to take their places.

The worst possible outcome for the Republican Party would be for those that lie to then win elections and carry part of the GOP farther down the worst kind of path a political party can take -- one based on big lies, fear, intimidation and deception. The best possible outcome the GOP would be for the worst offenders to be defeated, so that better representatives could take their places.