IBD Editorials ^ | July 2, 2012 | ED CARSON
President Obama wasted little time giving his perspective on the Supreme Court's decision to uphold his sweeping health care law.
"This is a good day for millions of Americans who can continue to benefit from the protections and economic security provided by the Affordable Care Act," Obama said in an emailed statement Thursday, a few hours after the ruling.
But for millions of Americans, it was just another bad day without the economic security of a job. The unemployment rate has held above 8% for 40 straight months. It ticked up to 8.2% in May, and would actually be around 11% if labor force participation wasn't at record lows.
A recent Gallup survey found that 31% of Americans say the economy is their top concern. Another 25% cite unemployment. And health care? Just 6% say it's their No. 1 issue.
So the court ruling has thrown ObamaCare into the middle of a tight presidential race. It has motivated the GOP and Democrat bases, and will no doubt continue to provide fodder for cable news, talk radio and Twitter. But ObamaCare in all likelihood will not be the main issue of the election. Swing voters are far more concerned about jobs and the economy. And there's little to celebrate on that front.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.investors.com ...
