Consider this the first proof of Fred Barnes’s thesis. Now that this monstrosity has passed, we’ll never escape talking about it. Every poll, every upward or downward tick in cost or life expectancy, every bit of new legislation passed to tweak or expand the “reforms,” will be fodder for another round of endless, angry, obsessive debate about its significance. Just one of the many happy side effects of our new utopian panacea.

And so it came to be, after a day’s worth of nonstop coverage of History!, that ObamaCare’s gotten a bounce.

More from Gallup:

Americans’ emotional responses to the bill’s passage are more positive than negative — with 50% enthusiastic or pleased versus 42% angry or disappointed — and are similar to their general reactions.

Although much of the public debate over healthcare reform has been heated, barely a third of rank-and-file citizens express either enthusiasm (15%) or anger (19%) about the bill’s passage. However, only Democrats show greater enthusiasm than anger. Independents are twice as likely to be angry as enthusiastic, and Republicans 10 times as likely.

The sample was 1,005 adults. Here’s what Hitler’s pollster, a.k.a. Rasmussen, got on Sunday when polling likely voters shortly before it passed:

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone poll, taken Friday and Saturday nights, shows that 41% of likely voters favor the health care plan. Fifty-four percent (54%) are opposed. These figures have barely budged in recent months.

Another finding that has remained constant is that the intensity is stronger among those who oppose the plan. The latest findings include 26% who Strongly Favor the plan and 45% who Strongly Oppose it.

The partisan divide remains constant as well. Seventy-four percent (74%) of Democrats favor the plan, while 87% of Republicans are opposed. As for those not affiliated with either major party, 34% are in favor, and 59% are opposed.

That’s quite a swing among indies from two days ago to Gallup today. Color me skeptical too that the number of Republicans who support the bill — 14 percent, allegedly — now exceeds the number of Democrats who oppose it. If that were true, it would have shown up somehow in internal polling and you wouldn’t have had 34 Democrats defect. Or would you? The biggest problem here (in both Gallup and Rasmussen) is the nationwide sample: It’s fine as a general barometer of public sentiment, but of course the left will want you to believe that this vindicates their theory O-Care is a political winner in November. Problem is, that doesn’t depend on national polling — it depends on swing districts, and at last check those districts were looking grim. That’s why you had 34 Democrats vote no and that’s why not a single one of them will regret his or her vote after they see this poll. (Well, maybe Lynch.)

We’ve already been over the importance of the intensity/enthusiasm gap, which I think will only expand in the GOP’s favor now that it’s passed, but I won’t belabor the point. You can read that post here. Exit question via Jay Cost: Is the spread really 49/40? Hmmmm.