About that healthcare bounce for Democrats

Nonexistent:

Health care’s passage did not produce even a point rise in the president’s approval rating or affection for the Democratic Congress. Virtually every key tracking measure in April’s poll has remained unchanged, including the Democrats’ continued weakness on handling of the economy.

[…]

With independents even more conservative and Republican-leaning in this survey, the congressional battle in 2010 looks like a dead-heat at best – a 12-point swing in this poll from 2008.

Yeah, we Americans really love us some healthcare reform.

Democrats have their work cut out for them over the next few months.  You can sense the desperation as they  try to regain the narrative as they bogusly (?) push for bogus financial reform.  They need something–anything–in their holster to be able to point at during the campaign and yell, “See? Look what we did!  We did something!”

Never mind that most prominent Democrats, especially those who were active in shaping and passing healthcare reform, are essentially keeping mum about passing it at all.

And Republicans better not get complacent here.  Polls are just that–polls.  They can and will change and there’s still six months left until the election, which is an eternity in politics.   They need to stay on the offensive and maintain the narrative.  Keep reminding people that Democrats have more or less been in control of DC for almost four years now.  Simple majorities are not enough to repeal healthcare reform.  Large majorities are needed in 2010, bolstering those majorities in 2012 and taking back the White House.  That’s a very tall order.

[Via Ben Smith]