When it comes to Obamacare, many Democrats take comfort in polls showing a small majority of voters, or at least a plurality, oppose repealing the Affordable Care Act. To them, that proves the Republicans’ do-away-with-it position is out of sync with voters as this November’s midterm elections approach.

The argument shows how far Democrats have retreated from the heady days when they rammed Obamacare through Congress over unanimous GOP opposition. Democrats can’t argue that most people actually like the new law, and indeed many Democratic candidates have adopted a new mantra that it needs to be “fixed.” But at least voters don’t want to scrap it altogether.