The Voice of Young Conservatives Blog

Remember that one health care bill that used to be the center topic of debate amongst political minded Americans both conservative and liberal?  Seems like almost a decade ago we were arguing whether or not this bill was going to be the demise of American capitalism.  It was almost a war-zone with Nancy Pelosi and John Boehner leading their respective parties, banging the war-drums, armed with their ideals and ready to battle to the death.  For many Americans, when the Democratss passed the bill and Obama gave his blessing, this seemed to be a terrifying shift towards a welfare state system.

It is now nearly six months later, and although much of the mudslinging has died down, the issue still stands in the forefront of America’s collective mind. What was once supposed to be the cornerstone of the Democratic agenda, the stunning achievement of a historic Presidency, has seemed to fizzle.

But why it fizzled is unclear. It wasn’t popular when it was passed, it has become even less so after passage. So what happened? A lack of patience? It’s admitted failure at cost containment in a fragile economy? A scapegoat for generic voter anger about the state of the country?

Regardless of the reason, a new Kaiser Health poll finds that opposition to the bill has soared over the past month – rising 10 points to 45 percent. Support for the bill also saw a drop – falling 7 percent to 43 percent – its weakest showing since May.

So much for White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs’ assertion that “I don’t think it’s going to cost Democrats the House. I think this will be an accomplishment that members can be proud of — not just in this election, George, but for decades to come.” Decades to come? Democrats aren’t even proud of it six months after it passed! Take Democratic Senator Ron Wyden who is attempting to exempt his state, Oregon, from the individual mandate of the health care bill. As Wyden said in a letter to constituents,

Oregonians have demonstrated again and again that a one size fits all approach from Washington is not the best approach for the Northwest, and they have come up with innovative solutions that the Federal government has never had the flexibility or will to implement.

More generally, Democrats have switched their campaign message from defending health care to stressing a promise to “improve it.”

What a terrible fall from what was supposed to be their signature piece of legislation. On the day that it was passed Democrats breathed a sigh of relief, believing that they had just made history and passed an accomplishment that they would be able to fall back on for many election cycles. They realized it was a hard fought battle and the poll results reflected this fact. But, with a gleam of hope in their eye, they assumed that people were simply so fed up with the process that healthcare’s dismal approval ratings were just a mirage. Once people begin to see the wonderful benefits people’s cold reception would begin to thaw.

None of that happened. Very few tangible benefits have taken effect. The CBO and other cost-scoring agencies have undercut Democrats’ claims that the bill would reduce costs for patients and the federal government. And the bill’s hefty pricetag could not have come in a worse year.

So in a crazy twist of fate Republicans are now the ones trying desperately to keep healthcare on the front burner leading up to the midterm elections. Democrats are doing their best to, in essence, kill the bill. Don’t let them hide from their failures. They sold us a bottle of snake oil. The only reason the public clamored for healthcare reform in 2008 was to address the spiraling costs they were facing, and yet the bill actually exacerbated this problem. Don’t let these broken promises slide. We deserve better, so let’s vote for better. Study the Congressional candidates in your district, see how they voted on healthcare reform, and vote accordingly. We don’t need more of the same. We need real change.

by Brandon Greife, Political Director (hat tip Reiley Hooper)