As we start the health-care debate in the Senate, Gallup tells us: “Americans currently tilt against Congress’s passing health-care legislation, with 49% saying they would advise their member to vote against a bill (or they lean that way) and 44% saying they would advocate a vote in favor of the bill (or lean toward advising a yes vote).”

The “good news” for ObamaCare backers is that there are still undecided voters out there: “Proportionately more independents (27%) and Democrats (24%) than Republicans (14%) are undecided, which at least improves the odds that legislation could wind up getting majority public backing.” The bad news is that the “trend has been in the opposite direction, with opposition growing.” Indeed, each time we get into a more vigorous discussion of the details of ObamaCare, support for a government takeover goes down. Nor is Obama likely to help matters for his own cause: “The poll also finds 40% of Americans approving of President Obama’s handling of health-care policy, while 53% disapprove. This is slightly more negative than what Gallup found from July through September, and represents his worst review to date on this issue.” Again, the more the public hears from him, the less they like what he is trying to sell.

Either Obama and the Democrats, with all the advantages of one-party rule and a sympathetic media to help steer the discussion, have experienced a monumental failure in communication or the public simply doesn’t want to see the liberals’ decades-long dream of government health care come to pass. Liberals in the White House and Congress may not care what the public wants, but moderates and conservatives in both Houses still may fret. Is it worth losing their jobs over something their constituents don’t want? We’ll find out.