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The Republican Strategy on Health Care: Please vote for us in 2010!

Submitted by Jon Henke on Mon, 08/24/2009 - 12:59
in

This GOP Senior Health Care Bill of Rights is a depressing example of the kind of Keynesian Political Strategy of that now defines the Republican Party.

  • Protect medicare and not cut it in the name of health care reform
  • Prohibit government from getting between seniors and their doctors
  • Prohibit efforts to ration health care based on age
  • Prevent government from interfering with end-of-life care discussions
  • Ensure seniors can keep their current coverage
  • Protect veterans by preserving tricare and other benefit programs for military families

What exactly is the message here? That Republicans think Medicare is peachy? Republicans are now the Party of the Entitlement Status Quo?

The Democrats tried to address Iraq like this in 2004.  Their proposals amounted to "The same, but....better! And less expensive! No hard choices for America! Please like us."

The GOP is doing the same thing on health care.  This is not a policy vision; it is a campaign vision.  The message is: We want to pick off some senior citizen votes in 2010.

On the off chance that the Republican leadership is listening to anybody but their campaign operatives these days: The horse is supposed to go in front of the cart.  Policy should not be made by polling.  Campaign committees and operatives should be selling policy, not making it.

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Comments

A boomerang

Submitted by cr on Mon, 08/24/2009 - 13:29.

Much can be made of the Dem's plan for Health Care, and the Obama strategy for passing it. However, one fact cannot be ignored, ENTITLEMENTS ARE GOING TO BUST US.

At least the Dems can say they tried . . . twice. Republicans have nothing. Have had nothing. People are now caught up in the noise of what is stupid opposition. That won't last, and that could back fire. Facts will catch up with the manufactured PR slurs. I also count on Obama to recalibrate and reapproach. Even if he fails and Dems loose midterms, the sink hole of health care will return and Dems will use it as an issue.

Rather than be against, this could have been one of those moments that Reps coopted health care and passed something reasonable. Instead, they embraced the crazies again.

Fact is, we're going to have to come to the fact that we're going to have to make some hard choices: some form of "rationed" care or jobs. And as everyone knows, when your job goes, so does your health care.

 

cr's pulling for the Dems, not the Rs.

Submitted by JakeMountain1 on Tue, 08/25/2009 - 10:48.

I get from your earlier comments you believe the right course for the GOP is to try to appease the farLeft margins, embrace their concepts of health care reform, cooperate fruitfully to bring about some hybrid of liberal-conservative reform... but that's simplistic and naive.

For 40+ yrs, the GOP has repeatedly tried to reform social security, MediCare and MedicAid and played into the eager, willing, craven hands of the Democrats hell-bent on political posturing.  Bush 43's attempt to provide prescription drug care relief for seniors met with cries from the farLeft of not doing enough, piddle reform and even arguing that most seniors would STILL have to choose between dog food or no food and their live-saving, never miss a pill drugs.

Frankly, the health care reform effort provides a perfect opportunity to pay back the Democrat bastards.  Turn America against the farLeft. Reinforce that the Democrats are controlled by a radical, socialist anti-capitalism thuggery elite fresh from Chicago-styled politics of Rod Blagojevich.  The Democrats self-interest in appeasing the chimps pushing for the public option will be their undoing.

Like Limbaugh, I am now hoping these bozos fail.  America can't afford them succeeding.

Maybe you should quit offering advice about how the GOP ought to respond to the issues of the day and just admit you need to join the Democrat Party?  It's where people like you belong, right?

Yikes!

Submitted by cr on Tue, 08/25/2009 - 13:05.

Why the hostility? Get a laid, or a life, take an asperine or whatever and chill out . . .

1. I can't imagine you're going to listen to anyone but yourself.

2. But, for the sake of argument, why didn't Reps do anything significant while Bush was in office. That was the time for them. Perscription Drug "Relief" . . . that's reform?

Not scientific, but I find it shoking how many people over fifty have a pill breakfreast. They all have the S-M-T-W-T-F-S plastic container. It seems kind of fucked up that we are so fucking medicated as a society.

3.  America can't afford someone not succeding. Entitlements and health care are going to drag us all down. I don't care who it comes from, but we as a society have to change our ideas about growing old, taking care of our health and the limits of life.

Much of the scare tactics (on both sides) are based on the burden of choice. Fifty years ago people died at home; the poor had no expectation to be kept alive by the state. Now every grandma has to choose between food and pills.

4. I believe in some form of national health care, and I definitely believe in rationing (or targeting is a better word). I'd like a school system approach where everyone has basic care, but anything above that is private coverage. Right now, we have the worst of private insurance (unneeded procedures, doctors and clinics gaming the system) and public care (medicare or medicade sucking the budget dry because politicians don't have the balls to tell people they're going to die but instead promise them life everlasting for a fucking vote) .

5. As for your Rep reforms . . . malpractice is less than 1% of health care costs . . . that's what I mean by coopting. Obama was in the mood to play ball; Reps could have put good measures in that they obviously couldn't do when they had control.  Compromise, slilp them in. Now, Dems are giving reps the FU.  They won't negotiate with Reps at all; they'll put everything in that they wanted in the first place, stop townhalls, pressure blue dogs, and pass a big-ass piece of legislation by themselves.

----

So I'm for no one and everyone at the same time. I belive the Dem plan is going to suck, but I don't think the Republicans are ever going to do anything other than blame Dems for everything Reps can't do. However, health care needs to change. Entitlements are going to suck this country down a hole.

And I'm quite happy as a liberarian, thank you. I think both parties suck.

 

 

 

cr, there's no hostility... just your hostility to the truth.

Submitted by JakeMountain1 on Wed, 08/26/2009 - 11:56.

By the way, cr Libertarian is spelled L-i-b-e-r-t-a-r-i-a-n.  Not as you do, above:

And I'm quite happy as a liberarian, thank you. I think both parties suck.

The only thing that sucks is community-college edg-um-kated, publik skewl drop-outs like you.

Look, there's nothing wrong with you having an opinion.  It's just that you might find it better to keep you mouth shut than to prove you're an idiot when you express stupid-assed opinions like above.

 

right and wrong

Submitted by cr on Wed, 08/26/2009 - 12:05.

right:  I'm a crappy speller. I'm at work, I don't care.

wrong:  two bachelors, current masters program at Carnegie Mellon.

right and wrong

Submitted by cr on Wed, 08/26/2009 - 12:06.

right:  I'm a crappy speller. I'm at work, I don't care.

wrong:  two bachelors, current masters program at Carnegie Mellon.

He thinks he is clever because he has found the secret

Submitted by Mead50 on Wed, 08/26/2009 - 12:11.

spell checker. If you click on "Switch to plain text editor" at the bottom of the comment window you will be taken to a screen with a spell checker.

what would Reagan do?

Submitted by JohnMcC on Mon, 08/24/2009 - 17:23.

As one who is ancient enough to remember Ronny from Death Valley Days and The Speech, I have to confess that the modern GOP is astonishing.  The only thing left is the venom, the embrace of crazy people and the tendency to smear.  It's easy enough to demonstrate that Republicans hated Medicare from the git-go.  Is the GOP actually hoping to fool seniors---SENIORS!!! who were actually alive when Medicare was passed--into thinking that we should trust Republicans to guard our Medicare.

Truly another example of the Republican party in it's death throes.  Going the way of the Whigs in 1828.  (Which I am not ancient enough to remember.)

What would Reagan do? I think he'd take "JohnMcC" by the...

Submitted by JakeMountain1 on Mon, 08/24/2009 - 19:20.

labels and bitch slap him for forty minutes.  Frankly, I doubt that would be enough for our latest ooh-so-concerned farLeft troll faking his bona-fides.  I'd love the chance to give JohnMcC above another 40 minutes of solid, bitch-slapping and follow it up with some Cheney-styled skeet shooting on the back 40 acres.

What a load you dump, boy!  Wheel-chair ridden or not.

Let's see, the last time systemic reform of either MediCare or Social Security or Inheritance Taxes or Capital Gains Tax was proposed-- the reform effort was led by Republicans, Republicans, Republicans and --yes-- more Republicans. 

Where were your Democrats?  Chukie Schumer and TeddieBuryMeInChappaquidickKennedy and RobertKKKByrd?  Playing the scare game for marginal political gain.  Scaring seniors.  Scaring so-to-be seniors.  Scaring those who care for seniors.  Scaring those who will one day be seniors.  Scaring the parents of future seniors not even born at the time... scare, scare, scare 24x7.

The Democrats played the "scare" game with seniors in each and every case of reform initiative and took that "gotcha" political game to the win column on subsequent Election Days.  Was the scare game based on facts? Nope.  Was the scare game responsible to the interests of all Americans, young and old?  Nope.  Were the Democrats' interests ethical?  Nope.  You'd have to still search far and wide to find an honest Democrat Congressman now; it was impossible in the 1980s and 1990s.  And now, the Democrats are worried that their well-practiced scare game politics is pointed right back in their collective face.

I think Ronald Reagan would like to take our local troll, the newly minted JohnMcC, and bitch slap him for at least 40 minutes.

Frankly, that's what everyone who honors Reagan's name should do when they come upon trolls like JohnMcC who, by their very use of the name, dishonor his memory and the public square.

Back to the topic: Jon is correct in a single way in this post.  Campaign staff should be selling policy initiatives to the voters, not allowing political operatives to frame the right/correct policy... it would be better if responsible GOP leaders from Congress or outside of DC came up with the rightly balanced litany of health care reform to offset the Democrats.

And part of that litany would HAVE TO include medical malpractice and tort reform, greater reliance on private sector mechanisms to control MediCare and MedicAid rising costs, dismantling the VA system and replacing it with unlimited access by service personnel to private medical care facilities and staff, ending employer-controlled health insurance and incenting poor people and the unfit or unhealthy to move toward a healthy lifestyle... and it could all be paid for by a new federal tax on fast food, ice cream, potato chips and a new Hot Air Tax on all Democrats speaking on air or in the Congress.

Plus, it'd be good to fund a research project on whether or not obesity played a factor in Obama's election.  We know race did.  We know poverty did.  We know ignorance did.  We know inner city corruption did.  I wonder if fat people, who can't seem to make the same healthy choices normal people do day-in and day-out, played a role in the Great O's election?

Of course, seniors -as a voting block- were overwhelmingly in support of McCain and Palin.  It's unfortunate that they're being put on the spit to roast by TeamObama.  If they'd only listened earlier to Republican reformers and not been so easily steered by fear.

 

In regards to John McC

Submitted by cr on Tue, 08/25/2009 - 08:01.

First of all, maybe he's a troll (a.k.a a guy you don't agree with), but you kind of prove his point if you are representative of the republican party.

As for what little point you make, both sides have used fear and politicing for drumming up votes in the AARP set. Given they are the biggest lobby and seniors are the most reliable voters (I believe) it has made for a bad system of give aways.

What makes me sad is that there isn't a party that has the balls to stand up for reasonable health care. Politicians are playing chicken with this issue and in the end, everyone will be in the crash.

--------------------------------------------------

AND TO THE ADMINS OF THIS SITE:  PLEASE TAKE THE SPAM OFF! THERE ARE MORE ADS HERE THAN COMMENTS. IT, ALSO, MAKES ME SAD.

 

trolls aren't those we disagree with, cr, they're plants...

Submitted by JakeMountain1 on Tue, 08/25/2009 - 10:53.

spitting out talking points well versed and exposed on other sites.  It isn't those who disagree, bubba.

That you can't tell the difference should be instructive.  There's lots of GOP minded reform proposals out there... tort reform, medical mal reform, digitized medical information, patient bill of rights, protecting end of life dignity, educating more nurses and staff to do more that doctors normally do... etc.

For you to reduce those proposals to "just say No" or just opposition to reform is assinine.  You need to think a bit deeper and longer before posting, maybe?

OK, let's get into it

Submitted by Earmarks on Fri, 08/28/2009 - 16:15.

First of all, the Republicans are missing an enormous opportunity at this point, which is to offer a solution of their own.  When the squawking gets loud as just a simple NO to any health care reform measures that Democrats are trying to pass - it comes off as sophomoric.  Entitlements are certainly something that we have to address, because they are dragging us down, and have dragged us down already. 

In other words, it makes it seem that they don't care what ideas that Democrats have, they will oppose it simply on the basis that is was conceived of by Democrats, which is the dumbest idea in the world - because essentially that means that our elected officials, conservative or liberal, have only an interest in imposing their own hegemony, not in doing anything productive for the American people. 

Furthermore, opposition without a recourse of their own devising just enhances the viewpoint that Republicans could care less about anybody, they only want to enrich their campaign contributors in HMOs and Big Pharma.  Let's face it - current Republicans are easily bought off, and so are Democrats.  The system is broken, the fix is in, and our representatives in government are bought and sold and paid for. 

CR, as a fellow libertarian, I heartily agree - and the two party system is one of the biggest threats to our liberty.  (And as Ayn Rand was fond of saying, "The conservatives will kill this country before the Liberals do." To back that up, I merely have to mention Sarah Palin. QED.)

Inasfar as what would Reagan do?  Ronald Reagan is essentially the Bill Clinton or JFK of the Republican Party.  He was a fantastic figure for PR, and he certainly said a lot of things that people loved to hear, and still do.  However, in REALITY, he was a drastic and despicable failure on almost every level.  His spending policies were a sick joke, he drove up the national debt by billions if not trillions.  (SDI, for instance.)  His tax policies were also ridiculous, as they favored only the rich, essentially a reverse Robin Hood - he was the one who instituted a tax on WAITRESSES' TIPS, which is ridiculous!  I could go on about this, but the fact of the matter is, and always has been, that he was a dismal, despicable, and embarrassing failure - and I think it's high time that everyone stop giving high praise to Saint Ronny, who wasn't much to write home about, and in fact was lousy for just about everyone, unless you worked as an Executive on Wall Street or in the Military Industrial complex.  Get over it. 

If anything, what we should be doing is trying to figure out how to let the market lower costs on it's own.  A pre-tax medical savings accountis a fantastic idea that I've heard suggested for health care costs.  If anything, part of medical care is that a person has to observe sound financial planning, which involves sound investment, savings, and sound spending.  That's a skill that's gone by the wayside - we all have to go out and use the credit card to get iPods and all kinds of other unnecessary crap - no wonder so many people get the payday loans that are so decried.  If Republicans are serious about getting back Congress and the White House, then they need to come up with legitimate ideas and solutions to problems, instead of pursuing the Neo-con/religio-con fascist agendas.