Polling shows that only a majority of Republicans support repeal of ‘ObamaCare’

In the latest CNN/ORC International poll released on Sunday, 61 percent of respondents said they wanted to leave the Affordable Care Act aka “ObamaCare” as is, or make some changes.

Only thirty-eight percent said they wanted to repeal the law and replace it with a new system, or go back to the bad old days before ObamaCare.

Greg Sargent of the Washington Post breaks it down in the Morning Plum: Are Republicans surrendering on Obamacare?:

A new CNN poll illustrates the situation nicely: It finds that far more Americans want to keep Obamacare than repeal it. At the same time, only majorities of Republicans want repeal and only majorities of Republicans think the law is already a failure.

The CNN poll finds that 49 percent of Americans want to keep the law with some changes, while another 12 percent want to keep it as is — a total of 61 percent. Meanwhile, only 18 percent want to repeal and replace the law, and another 20 percent want to repeal it, full stop — a total of 38 percent.  That’s 61-38 for keeping rather than repealing the law. Among independents, that’s 55-44.

How is it possible that Americans can disapprove of Obamacare, but support keeping it? I’ve already laid out my theory of the case, and today’s polling appears to support it. Part of the answer lies in another question CNN asked. That finding shows that a total of 61 percent say either that it’s too soon to tell whether the ACA is a success or failure (49) or say that it’s a success (12). By contrast, 39 percent say it’s already a failure. That’s 61-39 in favor of those who are giving the law a chance to work over time. Among independents that’s 58-42.

The key is that those who want repeal and say the law has already failed are overwhelmingly Republican. Among Republicans only, the numbers are 62-38 for repealing over keeping the law. Among Republicans only, 67 percent say it’s a failure versus 32 percent who say it’s too soon to tell.

CNN’s new polling mirrors Kaiser’s recent finding that only Republicans support repeal and that only Republicans want the Obamacare debate to continue. And it’s a reminder that at this point, attacks on the law — such as they are, anyway – are all about keeping the base lathered up in advance of the midterm elections. But there are still six months to go, and already even some Republican officials appear to be realizing that the anti-Obamacare energy is draining away.

Turn off the conservative media entertainment complex, and these numbers would go even higher. GOP opposition is really Obama Derangement Syndrome and partisan hatred fed by the conservative media entertainment complex.