Citing IWV's poll of independent voters, Higgins and Ryun conclude in Red State:

[N]ot making dismantling and defunding ObamaCare an issue this fall is terribly shortsighted. Conservatives in Congress need to come out of the election with a mandate and this is one of the issues that will give them just that. It is critical. Unfortunately, consultants and party operatives whose time horizon goes no further than 30 odd days don’t make the best long term strategic decisions.