Success and the perception of success

Ezra Klein writes that "Obamacare will never be a huge political success for Democrats," in response to Yglesias and Krugman, who are more optimistic. Klein believes that this is because the benefits to health care reform will be largely invisible to the majority of Americans, and that the costs will be "marginal." I mostly agree, but I will take an even more pessimistic tack by noting that, for the foreseeable future, some people will blame any poor healthcare outcome on the new law. Price of an MRI goes up? Obamacare! Longer wait for appointments? Obamacare! Unfortunate test results? Obamacare! Weird guy gave me the side-eye on the way to the doctor's office? Obamacare!

Now, it is likely that this group will never comprise more than five or ten percent of the population. Remember, however, that this group is likely only that big now, and yet they control two of the three branches of government.