The Topline: No magic pill on repeal and replace
Let’s just say it. There is no popular replacement for the Affordable Care Act. Republicans in Congress have railed against Obamacare since its passage in 2010, and held frequent votes to repeal it in the intervening years. But after 6 months of unified control of the House, Senate, and White House, one thing is crystal clear. To pass a replacement package, they will need to do a larger version of what Democrats did in 2010: ignore the polls.
The Topline: The Independence of Independents
The ranks of political independents continue to swell in Massachusetts, while the number of Democrats and Republicans remains roughly steady. Younger voters are choosing to remain “unenrolled” when they register to vote, rather than choosing a political party. The result is an increasing tilt toward the “unenrolled,” as they are called here, who now make up 55 percent of the state’s voter rolls.
The Topline: Diving into the Boston Olympics Polling
Plus: Super Bowl data wrap-up; Obama approval uptick; early 2016 primary polling; vaccines, income inequality, education; and what does margin of error really mean, anyhow?
