Sunday, October 27, 2013

Democrats are Hoping That Obamacare Won't Make Them Lose Big



Democrats are Hoping That Obamacare Won't Make Them Lose Big

There is an interesting piece in The Hill about five incumbent Democrats who are worried about what Obamacare means for their chances of getting re-elected.
Five vulnerable Democratic incumbents who this week called for extending the law’s enrollment period and delaying penalties for not signing up on time come from states where voters hold unfavorable views of the law. Some Democratic strategists, however, argue the issue is not as potent as Republicans think and predict it could boomerang on conservatives who have pushed for a full repeal of the law without offering detailed proposals to replace it.

But this seems to be comparing apples and oranges. How the American people poll nationally isn’t going to help those five Democratic incumbents in their states. They aren’t elected by the nation. They have to each win the votes in each of their areas.

Also, even if opposing Obamacare is not yet as popular as it should be, the fact remains that no Democrat can do much to campaign on the great benefits of the Affordable Care Act. They’ve committed a great deal of energy on a bill that isn’t convincing anyone new to vote for them. How many people who disagree that Republicans should resist Obamacare at all costs will feel strongly enough to vote for a Democrat if they weren’t already going to go vote for a Democrat. Maybe I’m wrong but I can’t see how this gains them anything. Even the few people who now have insurance who couldn’t get it before were probably already voting Democrat.

It may well be that these national polls show that winning the Presidency will be tough for a Republican candidate, but until we’re past the 2014 elections, I don’t think we should worry too much about who the next President is. Whether a Democrat or a Republican wins, I want them to deal with a large majority of Republicans in both the House and Senate.
One problem with Republicans is that none of them seem to even be interested in naming all the regulations, both at the state and national level, which raise the price of heath care. When Democrats accuse Republicans of not having “detailed proposals to replace” Obamacare, the GOP should have a blistering reply ready to go—something other than blaming the entire health care bubble on medical malpractice insurance. Detailed proposals are the evil. Democrats accuse Republicans of not having them. I am angry that Republicans have not abominated “detailed proposals” for the pompous torture devices that you are.
Healthcare.gov was a detailed proposal. How do you like it?

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