Playing with Fire

Barack Obama's personal popularity has exceeded the popularity of his policies for a long while. Voters like this winsome and appealing man more than they like what he is doing. And why not? As the nation's first African American president, he enjoys a lot of automatic good will from the people. But not an endless suppply.

If, as it appears, Mr. Obama rams through this unpopular government takeover of one-sixth of the economy, by hook or by crook, he will lose a large portion of that good will forever. His ideological stubbornness and willingness to govern using raw power will forever mark him as an extremist in the minds of many. And I daresay this tragic episode in the history of the Republic will make him not only an unpopular figure, but a hated one.