By JAMES TARANTO

They told us that Americans would learn to stop worrying and love ObamaCare. To judge by yesterday's election in Missouri, they were wrong.

Official election returns show that citizens of the Show Me State voted overwhelmingly--71% to 29% in favor of Proposition C, a ballot measure described in a pre-election report from Time magazine:

The specific issue boils down to this: Can the government require that citizens buy health insurance? Mandatory insurance is a key element of the health care reforms passed by congressional Democrats and signed by Obama this year. Adding healthy people to the insurance pool spreads the cost of policies for people with health problems. Missouri's referendum rejects that mandate by asking voters whether state laws should be amended to forbid penalties for failing to have health insurance.

Time describes the vote as "largely symbolic." Other states have already passed such opt-out laws via legislative action rather than voter initiative, and the real test will come in the courts. But symbolism matters. If the constitutional question is a difficult one, it's possible that judges will resolve it on the side of public opinion. And of course the public's reaction to ObamaCare is likely to influence the politicians who have control over its implementation and possible repeal.

Time tries in advance to minimize the expected result:

Tuesday's primaries are far more interesting on the GOP side, practically guaranteeing a turnout heavily skewed against health care reform. . . . Democrats in the Missouri legislature had consciously maneuvered Prop C onto the August ballot. The argument was that it would be better to hold the referendum this month than let it become a rallying point for the GOP in November, when retiring Senator Christopher "Kit" Bond's seat is up for grabs.

"Far more interesting on the GOP side" is an exaggeration. Both party's Senate candidates won with more than 70% of the vote, and Missouri is not electing a governor this year. We suppose it's possible that Republican voters were drawn to the polls by the thrilling contested race for state auditor and cast ballots against ObamaCare as an afterthought. More likely, though, it's the other way around. And in fact, the number of people who cast ballots on Proposition C was more than 100,000 greater than in all parties' state auditor primaries combined.

Full article @ WSJ.com

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Sliding things under the rug was/is never a good 'communication strategy'! LOL

The POTUS failed to communicate early and set correct direction. A consensus building approach where he wanted no fault to stick to him let this evolve without a direction and the legislation in development became fair game as fodder for all kinds of critics.  To then not communicate - at least not do so effectively - will yield results like the ones seen this week in Missouri.  Voters WILL express their opinion and they have a mighty powerful way of doing just that.  Our nation is founded on that principle. And, it is for the POTUS to recognize that and fix the real issue.