Posted by Sir Four at 2:01pm Jan 28 '10This is the best advice I've seen lately. The author first makes the case for reform, citing the bad (and worsening) situation we have regarding health care in the US (escalating costs, more people losing coverage, etc.). But what about the politics of it? I've summarized some of the points:
Polls on the reform bill show public wariness, however when asked about the specifics entailed in the bill, support shoots up. This reveals that the public has not been adequately informed on what is in the bill, which has left partisan and industry attacks to fill that void (death panels, government take-over, etc.). It's probably too late to try to regain control of the narrative on health care, but simply passing the bill will pay off in the end:
The author goes on to say that Republicans will use the health care bill in attack ads as election day approaches. They will do so regardless of whether the bill passes.
If you pass the bill, you can say stuff like, "it gives tax credits to small businesses for providng health insurance" and "it bans denial of insurance to kids with pre-existing conditions." If you don't pass the bill, you just stand there with egg on your face looking like a dope, unable to respond to the attacks.
There is also the Democratic base to consider.
Polls have been showing a demoralized Democratic base and an energized Republican one. If the Dems can't do something to rectify that, they're going to get killed in November. The base is going to wonder, if Dems won't fight for this, what will they fight for?
Another consideration is that by passing the bill, you trap Republicans into defending the repeal of it. The status quo always has the advantage--those who want to change (even if it is undoing something) have to defend it. This allows Dems to as Repubs questions like, "do you really want to repeal the small business credit?"
There is also the long-term consideration. Long after the smears like "death panels" are forgotten, the legislation will have become part of the bedrock of America--like other major reforms before it. It's telling that even Republicans and teabaggers consider Medicare sacrosanct--despite the same anti rhetoric from the same circles having been deployed against it back in Johnson's day.
Bottom line: Pass the bill.
Polls on the reform bill show public wariness, however when asked about the specifics entailed in the bill, support shoots up. This reveals that the public has not been adequately informed on what is in the bill, which has left partisan and industry attacks to fill that void (death panels, government take-over, etc.). It's probably too late to try to regain control of the narrative on health care, but simply passing the bill will pay off in the end:
Once the bill is signed, the media won't just have a historic signing ceremony to cover. There will also be plenty of reports about what the new law does and does not do â "How the new health care law affects you" â which would further help improve the policy's public standing. (The alternative is a year's worth of news coverage about how hapless Democrats passed a monumental reform bill, but failed anyway.) There will also be "comeback kid" coverage, with Dems snatching victory from the jaws of defeat, rather than the other way around.
The author goes on to say that Republicans will use the health care bill in attack ads as election day approaches. They will do so regardless of whether the bill passes.
Indeed, Democrats can expect one of two scenarios: (1) an ad that tells voters, "Democrats voted to pass a liberal health care reform bill"; or (2) an ad that tells voters, "Democrats voted to pass a liberal health care reform bill â and then failed anyway when things got tough."
If you pass the bill, you can say stuff like, "it gives tax credits to small businesses for providng health insurance" and "it bans denial of insurance to kids with pre-existing conditions." If you don't pass the bill, you just stand there with egg on your face looking like a dope, unable to respond to the attacks.
There is also the Democratic base to consider.
Failure to pass a comprehensive bill, or support for a scaled-back plan, would leave Democrats feeling demoralized.The fundamental pact between a political party and its supporters is that the two groups believe the same thing and pledge to work on it together. And the Democratic base feels that it has held to its side of the bargain. It elected a Democratic majority and a Democratic president. It swallowed tough compromises on the issues it cared about most. It swallowed concessions to politicians it didn't like and industry groups it loathed. But it persisted. Because these things are important. That's why those voters believe in them. That's why they're Democrats.
But the party looks ready to abandon them because Brown won a special election in Massachusetts â even though Democrats can pass the bill after Brown is seated.... If Democrats let go of health care, there is no doubt that a demoralized Democratic base will stay home in November.
Polls have been showing a demoralized Democratic base and an energized Republican one. If the Dems can't do something to rectify that, they're going to get killed in November. The base is going to wonder, if Dems won't fight for this, what will they fight for?
Another consideration is that by passing the bill, you trap Republicans into defending the repeal of it. The status quo always has the advantage--those who want to change (even if it is undoing something) have to defend it. This allows Dems to as Repubs questions like, "do you really want to repeal the small business credit?"
There is also the long-term consideration. Long after the smears like "death panels" are forgotten, the legislation will have become part of the bedrock of America--like other major reforms before it. It's telling that even Republicans and teabaggers consider Medicare sacrosanct--despite the same anti rhetoric from the same circles having been deployed against it back in Johnson's day.
Bottom line: Pass the bill.