David Gergen, please define “crumble”

Appearing on CNN last night, Gergen announced that support for Obama's health care reform was beginning to “crumble” among voters.

This perfectly fits the CW of the Beltway press corps, which is in full Chicken Little mode regarding health care legislation--the sky is falling and Obama's entire agenda is in trouble!

CNN's Candy Crowley yesterday:

Presidents don't work this hard with things are going well, they work this hard when something is in jeopardy, especially when that something is one of the crown jewels of your campaign.

At least Crowley's hand-wringing had to do with the legislative process. (Read Nate Silver to understand why even that media meme seems overblown.) But it's telling that Gergen, among others, moved on to claim that the public no longer backs health care reform; that support is beginning to “crumble.”

It's telling because it's not true. According to all the recent polling data I've seen, a clear majority of Americans support the type of health care reform Obama and Democrats are pushing for. Public support is not crumbling, it's actually holding strong. But that's not a story the David Gergens of the world want to tell. And that's precisely why they ignore all those polling results when they're released.

The Beltway is only interested in the process story behind the push for health care reform, not the substance.

UPDATED: Writes Wonkette:

Nobody Wants Health Care Reform Except Voters, And Who Cares About Them?