There is good reason for Obama, the Democratic House leadership, and the media cheerleaders of nationalized health care were rooting to wrap up health-care reform before the August recess. Via Powerline, we get a glimpse of the problem: an eye-opening video of a town hall with Sen. Arlen Specter. Voters are enraged that lawmakers aren’t reading the 1,000-page bill — and are even more enraged at Specter for suggesting this has to be done fast.

Moreover, as time has gone on, the Republicans have learned to explain the downsides of ObamaCare and debunk the accusation that they are opposed to all reform. In an impressive outing on Fox News Sunday, Sen. Jim DeMint explained:

Well, they cut Medicare to come up with some money, and they raise taxes on — on small businesses, and they penalize any American with a 2.5 percent tax if they don’t have government-approved health care. I mean, this is not the America we know. . . . Barney Frank admitted this week that the whole reform effort is a way to move towards a single-payer government plan.

He went on to list two “better ideas”: allowing interstate insurance sales and equalizing the tax treatment for individual- and employer-purchased insurance.

As if that were not enough, the Democrats have managed to offend not only Blue Dogs but also bipartisan dealmakers like Orin Hatch, who are now disgusted with the Democrats’ insistence on a hugely expensive, government-run health-care scheme. The Hill explains:

Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), who has a long history of teaming up with Democrats on health-care legislation, says Democratic health-care reform plans now under consideration are ‘out of this world.’ Hatch also told The Hill in a Friday interview he would be “shocked” if Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.) sign onto a health-care deal with Democrats given the current trajectory of the legislation.

So where does this leave us going into August? The public is skeptical if not furious about this process of health-care reform and the substance of ObamaCare. The Republicans’ message has gotten sharper. And the liberal Democrats are increasingly isolated. This doesn’t mean some type of health-care bill won’t get through. But you can see why those who hoped for a government takeover of health care are so agitated. Time is not on their side.