Obamacare a drag on the president in swing states

Fascinating poll by USA Today/Gallup that breaks down the vote in 12 swing states. The poll finds both Santorum and Romney besting Obama, but by narrow margins. And the real drag on Obama's campaign in those states appears to be Obamacare.

USA Today:

In a USA TODAY/Gallup Poll of the nation's dozen top battleground states, a clear majority of registered voters call the bill's passage "a bad thing" and support its repeal if a Republican wins the White House in November. Two years after he signed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act-- and as the Supreme Court prepares to hear arguments about its constitutionality next month -- the president has failed to convince most Americans that it was the right thing to do.

[...]

n the poll, Obama lags the two leading Republican rivals in the 12 states likely to determine the outcome of a close race in November:

• Former Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum tops Obama 50%-45% in the swing states. Nationwide, Santorum's lead narrows to 49%-46%.
• Former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney edges Obama 48%-46% in the swing states. Nationwide, they are tied at 47% each.

Romney also has a health care problem: Among Republicans and Republican-leaning independents in the battleground states, 27% say they are less likely to support him because he signed a Massachusetts law that required residents to have coverage. Just 7% say it makes them more likely to back him.

One wonders if SCOTUS declares the individual mandate unconstitutional but leaves the bulk of Obamacare in place, will those numbers inch upward for the president? And how willing will voters be to repeal the rest of Obamacare, even if the cost rises?

Romney also has healthcare chained to his leg and weighing him down with Republicans and indies. But a promise to repeal the law if he wins the nomination might mitigate the effect of Romneycare.

For Obama, there is little doubt that Obamacare is the most unpopular entitlement in American history. The Democrats were clever in putting off the full effect of the law until 2014 - after the 2012 election. It's going to be hard to make people see how terrible this law will be and its awful effects on the health care system. People are currently incensed about the mandate. But there is so much else in that bill that will anger people once it goes into effect that the GOP should try and paint an accurate picture for voters of what health care will look like a few years down the road with Obamacare.