Decent news article in the Journal today that tackles a topic most of the press seems to have ignored so far, which is what the political downside is for Republicans if they successfully kill Obama's health care reform. To date, the press has mostly presented this as a win-win situation for the GOP, despite the fact that polling consistently show that a majority of American want health care reform and support Obama's approach.

Typically, if a political party stakes out a position that runs counter to what most voters want, then there's a political penalty to be paid. But not for Republicans, at least not when it comes to health care coverage. Rather than stressing, or even mentioning, how the party finds itself out of touch with the mainstream, the Republicans are seen--via the press--as being on the verge of a monumental win if they're able to defeat health care.

Reminds me of the skewed coverage back during the stimulus bill 'debate,' when the press rolled out a win-win for Republicans, who simply had to oppose Obama on the centerpiece legislation and the press would crown Obama the loser. Why? Because he couldn't land any bipartisan support.

Today, the Journal at least raises the question about a Republican backlash if they kill health care reform:

Republicans, seeking to regain political ground in the health-care debate, have launched a series of attacks on Democrats' overhaul plan. But some GOP strategists worry an aggressive approach could backfire, if voters decide the party is obstructing efforts to address an issue they care about.