The president’s flaagging support

It can be “shaky business” to assume that the results of a single opinion poll reflect broad public opinion. Viewpoints can shift quickly, and a poll that says one thing today might say something different a couple of weeks from now. So politicians are unwise to let themselves be tossed to and fro on shifting political winds.

But when one poll after another — over a long period of time — shows stable public views on particular issues, it is sensible for elected officials to take heed.

For instance, there has been strong opposition for many months to Obama-Care, the costly medical overhaul that Democrats in Congress imposed upon the country earlier this year. There are also big doubts about the $862 billion “stimulus” that was enacted mainly by Democrats and that has failed to generate the employment President Barack Obama said it would bring. And the public is strongly against illegal immigration and runaway federal debt.

Now a wide-ranging poll by The Associated Press finds fresh evidence of vigorous opposition to the president’s policies.

The poll looked at 15 issues, from the economy to deficits to terrorism, and zeroed in on Americans who said they had very strong opinions on those subjects. On nine of the 15 issues, Americans with the strongest opinions were sharply opposed to the president’s policies. On five of the issues, opinion was fairly evenly divided, and on only one issue — foreign relations — did the president enjoy strong support.

The poll was an attempt to find out which side of the political aisle has more “intense” supporters this election year, and it is clear that Republicans enjoy a huge advantage. That means voters on the Republican side are more likely to turn out and vote in November elections.

What is far less clear is whether the president has any intention of reconsidering the policies that are so unpopular with the American people. He has dug in his heels on ObamaCare. He wants to give amnesty to millions of illegal aliens. He seems unconcerned about the danger of the federal debt. And he wants to raise taxes.

It is no wonder the public is souring on his administration.

We do not say the president should govern by consulting daily polls, but his aloofness regarding the concerns of lots of Americans may cost his party a great deal in November.