Is health care not going all that well for you, Mr. President? Maybe you ought to push the energy agenda – after all, there’s ‘broad support’ for that:

Most Americans approve of the way President Obama is handling energy issues and support efforts by him and Democrats in Congress to overhaul energy policy — including the controversial cap-and-trade approach to limiting greenhouse gas emissions, according to a Washington Post-ABC News poll.

Even as public support has slipped for Obama’s health-care proposals, support for ambitious changes in energy policy has been steady. Although the issue of health care arouses more intense feelings than energy policy does, those who do feel strongly about energy and climate policy tend to tilt toward the administration’s position and a broad majority of people echo Democratic lawmakers’ views on the benefits of proposed changes.

Nearly six in 10 of those polled support the proposed changes to U.S. energy policy being developed by Congress and the administration. Fifty-five percent of Americans approve of the way Obama is handling the issue, compared with 30 percent who do not. A narrower majority, 52 to 43 percent, back a cap-and-trade system; that margin is unchanged since June. A cap-and-trade system would set a ceiling for the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions, and it would allow firms to buy and sell emissions permits.

If you read a little further, you see that there are already warning signs. Support drops if Americans come to believe that their electric rates will rise. Few currently believe that cap-and-trade will lead to lost jobs. Perhaps most telling is the view of one supporter the Post cites:

“Something definitely has to be done,” said Marian Eldridge, a former legal secretary from East Windsor, N.J., who participated in the survey. “Anything’s worth a try at this point.”

This sounds a lot like the attitude of many Americans about health care – until they learned about the effects of the president’s proposed ‘solution.’ Once they hear that Obamacare Kennedycare will make current problems worse, support collapses. The difference is that Americans have spent the last few months focusing on health care. Had they focused on cap-and-trade, the Post would likely be writing about how health care represents a welcome change of subject for Obama.

And that’s why today’s announcement – of a business coalition to oppose cap-and-trade – is significant. Here’s a sample of the type of ads that will run in 13 states:

The Obama may be making a ton of unforced errors, but they have to be smart enough not to jump out of the frying pan and into the fire… right?

Cross-posted to theconservatives.com