Potentially bad news for the all-repeal, all-the-time Republicans in Congress: it might appeal to the teabaggers, but not to the majority of Americans.



[Image via Yglesias.]

WASHINGTON — A majority of Americans want the Congress to keep the new health care law or actually expand it, despite Republican claims that they have a mandate from the people to kill it, according to a new McClatchy-Marist poll. The post-election survey showed that 51 percent of registered voters want to keep the law or change it to do more, while 44 percent want to change it to do less or repeal it altogether. Driving support for the law: Voters by margins of 2-1 or greater want to keep some of its best-known benefits, such as barring insurers from denying coverage for pre-existing conditions. One thing they don't like: the mandate that everyone must buy insurance.... Far from the all-or-nothing positions staked out by politicians and pundits, Americans are more divided about the health care law. On the side favoring it, 16 percent of registered voters want to let it stand as is. Another 35 percent want to change it to do more. Among groups with pluralities who want to expand it: women, minorities, people younger than 45, Democrats, liberals, Northeasterners and those making less than $50,000 a year.

Republicans can continue to push for a repeal of the mandate, a justifiably unpopular component of the law, since consumers weren't also given the choice of a Medicare-like public option (the lines along with those wanting expansion of the program are probably wishing for). Making it the cornerstone of bringing down the Obama presidency, as McConnell has vowed won't do much to endear the GOP to the majority of voters (or Olympia Snowe, who's joining in to most Mainers). But it will keep the base ("men, whites, those older than 45, those making more than $50,000 annually, conservatives, Republicans and tea party supporters") on board and excited.

Which suggest that Obama and the Dems need to think hard about doing the same with their larger base. Majority opinion is only bad news for the GOP if the Dems fight hard against their unpopular positions. Along those lines, other results from the poll are instruction. confirming what we've already seen in innumerable polls, a majority of 51 percent says only extend tax breaks to the middle class.