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It's one thing to pass a major piece of legislation and have it signed by the president; it's quite another to get the public to swallow it as something that benefits most of the country.
House and Senate Democrats, who stood in unison against President Trump's "big beautiful bill" — even trying to change the name of it to spite Republicans — now think they have a strategy to misrepresent it to the public. Polls show a majority don't like the bill.
The Wall Street Journal cites a poll by Quinnipiac University and Fox News that shows opposition to the new law outweighs support by 20 percent.
Probably a major reason for its unpopularity is the way the media frames anything that includes cuts, even when those cuts make sense and separately might poll well. These include forcing able-bodied people who receive Medicaid to look for work, cutting taxes on Social Security for everyone but the hated "rich," and maintaining the Trump tax cuts, even though they won't be felt if they continue as they are.
The law adds to the already unsustainable $37 trillion national debt. According to an analysis by the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, the law "adds $4.1 trillion to the debt through 2034" and adds "5.5 trillion if made permanent."
Republicans are counting on economic growth and tariffs to produce enough revenue to reduce the debt. It is like giving Dracula more blood, hoping he will go on the wagon.
The Wall Street Journal story notes that both parties plan to spend millions of dollars "to shape" voter impressions. It's not likely that those who voted for or against the measure have read it. Recall then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi who said about the Obamacare bill, "We have to pass the bill so you can find out what's in it."
At 940 pages, the big, beautiful bill will be a hard sell. Democrats may have a slight advantage because it's currently causing people to fear their benefits might end. Fear works for them with low-information voters, so why shouldn't they try it again?
Where it didn't work was with the 1996 Bill Clinton-Newt Gingrich success at welfare reform initiative, deliciously known as "The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act." The Left claimed people would starve, lose their homes and other "the sky is falling" prophecies. It didn't happen. Able-bodied people mostly found jobs when they realized the gravy train wasn't stopping at their mailbox anymore. The same will likely happen when it comes to the necessary and long overdue reform of Medicaid and other outmoded and bloated social spending.
If Republicans can sell the law to the public better than Democrats can lie about it, they could maintain and possibly expand their majorities in Congress. If that happens they must use that mandate to seriously reduce the debt. No nation in history has been able to sustain a $37 trillion debt.
Are we so arrogant that we believe we can avoid history and solid economic policy? If we are, no manner of clever accounting tricks, polling, or sleight of hand will be able to deliver us from history's judgment.
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Cal Thomas, America's most-syndicated columnist, is the author of 10 books.