Scott Rasmussen has yet another poll out confirming an important trend in the public opinion on Obamacare — those who strongly disagree with it significantly outnumber those who strongly agree. In the survey Scott published yesterday, this intensity gap was 37% strongly opposed to 24 percent strongly in favor. A Washington Post poll earlier this week found something similar, 33 percent strongly disapproving of Obama’s handling of the health-care issue vs. 25 percent strongly approving.

While it might seem reasonable to focus on the broader approve/disapprove numbers, political pros know better. They know that voters with strong opinions have a disproportionate effect on the outcome of any legislation. Such voters are typically better organized, more astute, more affluent, and more likely to remember the issue and vote on it in the next election cycle. The intensity gap is evident outside the polls, by the way. Correspondence to Congress is reportedly running between 10 and 15 to one against the legislation. Here in North Carolina, there are several competing series of public events aimed at rallying support or opposition to Obamacare. The events in favor are so far drawing a few dozen attendees a pop. The events in opposition are drawing far larger crowds — about 350 turned out for an Americans for Prosperity rally Tuesday night in Raleigh. I understand that there’s a similar difference in turnout in other states.