As Key Democrats Bolt From ObamaCare The Administration Continues To Be Deaf To America

Excellent commentary by Dan Gerstein at Forbes about the Democrats pushing to pass the behemoth known as ObamaCare even though most of America does not want it:

As I listened to the same tone-deaf talking points from the congressional Democrats at the White House health care summit last week, I was reminded of the classic excuse politicians use about their comments being taken out of context. In this case, and many others, the Democrats are suffering from the exact opposite problem–their arguments and actions are not taking in the context of the times. Indeed, over the past 14 months they have continually been trying to jam a square political peg into a round historical hole. The result has been a disastrous fit with the public mood and a deepening credibility gap.

This failure to factor can be traced back to the watershed vote on the stimulus bill, the Democrats’ single big accomplishment in the Obama era. The Democrats considered the $787 billion recovery package not just an essential step for saving the economy from depression, but also a first strike in White House’s “big bang” strategy. It would, by their way of thinking, build political momentum for a range of other major Obama agenda items like climate change. But for much of the public, the poorly conceived and marketed stimulus plan was the last straw in the unsettling explosion of government and debt that began with the bipartisan bailout bonanza in the waning days of the Bush administration.

Ever since that dividing line was crossed, the Democrats have seemed to be operating in a hermetically sealed political vacuum, impervious to the public’s changing post-crash priorities and diminishing tolerance for big government solutions. The complex, sector-remaking cap-and-trade bill is a perfect example. That plan may have been a tough but closeable sell in a stable economy, given the short-term sacrifices we would have to make to secure the long-term rewards. But it was a dead letter in a near-depressed economy with a mistrustful electorate prone to believe the most damning attacks about higher taxes and lost jobs. Yet the Democrats plowed ahead with a bill in the House and only stopped when Senate moderates bolted.

Dan highlights how unwise the Democrat strategy was to push the health care bill when it was quite clear the public wanted the Administration to focus on the economy.

…As the year went on, and federal spending piled on, concerns about deficits heightened. With even the modestly successful Cash for Clunkers program running out of money, confidence in the Democrats’ ability to deliver on their sweeping reform promises plummeted. Following a series of sweetheart deals for special interests and self-interested politicians to curry favor, faith in the legitimacy of the process and the integrity of the bill eroded. The more the Democrats wrote off these reasonable warning signs as nothing but Republican fear-mongering, the more they drove off the frustrated middle. Now most polls show only 35% to 40% of Americans support the president’s plan.

Us conservatives understand why they are pushing so hard for this. They are hoping that once the benefits kick in the people will love them again, and just as Medicare and Medicaid is untouchable, so will ObamaCare be.

This is perhaps the greatest example of the Democrats’ enveloping myopia. They may reflexively put issues in silos, but average Americans don’t. Most voters are impressionistic, especially independents and moderates of both parties. They look at the whole of what you have done and the how of what you have done. If Democrats ram through an unpopular trillion-dollar health care bill in this climate, with Congress’ approval rating at 15%, they may well cement their image as the worst of Washington and sever their claim on the public’s trust for years to come. Even if ObamaCare delivers over time–and if it avoids the substantial premium increases that the Massachusetts universal care system has produced–it most likely will be too little too late.

Any wonder now why there is complete chaos up on the hill?:

U.S. Rep. Michael Arcuri, D-Utica, said Tuesday he would vote against the Senate version of the health care bill that could soon go before the House of Representatives for approval.

An influential House progressive says he’s less likely to vote for the final healthcare reform bill now that the White House has incorporated Republican ideas — which could indicate a serious problem is brewing among liberals as Democratic leaders try to figure out a way to finish work on the legislation.

“As I weigh it, I think — for me — a ‘no’ vote is something that I continue to lean toward,” Rep. Raúl Grijalva, D-Ariz., the co-chairman of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, told Salon in a brief interview off the House floor Wednesday. “Especially the last additions — that was kind of a slap in the face for all of us who fought for the public option.”

As House Democratic leaders cast around for votes to pass the Senate’s healthcare reform bill (followed by a reconciliation measure that “fixes” parts of the bill), the three Democrats who voted against the bill last fall and plan to retire after this year are prime targets for lobbying. But if Rep. Brian Baird, D-Wash., is any indication, that may mean the bill is in trouble.

In a brief interview with Salon Tuesday night, Baird didn’t sound particularly enthusiastic about the prospect of switching his vote. “I get all these people advocating, calls and letters, saying vote one way or the other,” he said. “I don’t know how they know what’s going to be in it — because I sure don’t.”

And finally:

The lone Republican who voted for it last fall, Joseph Cao of Louisiana, has said he’s voting “no” on the current version. (Another “no” vote among the Democrats last time, Parker Griffith, is now a Republican.)

I thought Cao was the lone announced “yes” to flip to “no,” but he may soon have company:

But as a member of the centrist Blue Dog Coalition, Mr. Cardoza is not convinced that Mr. Obama’s bill offers the right prescription. It lacks anti-abortion language he favors, and he does not think it goes far enough in cutting costs. So while he voted for the House version — “with serious reservations,” he said — he is now on the fence.

~~~

Interestingly, one of the nine potential members of the Suicide Squad may have decided to turn down the offer: Tennessee Democrat John Tanner “has told colleagues he has no intention of switching his vote, said one Democratic lawmaker who has spoken with him.”

And it all comes down to power. The economy is in shambles and this Administration is pushing for a trillion more dollars to be spent all in the hopes of addicting millions of new victims on their Socialism heroin.

They hope these new addicts will vote more of them into office ensuring they keep that power for decades to come.

Who cares if it destroys this country….its power they thirst for.

But as Dan describes above, this strategy may “well cement their image as the worst of Washington and sever their claim on the public’s trust for years to come.”

We can only hope because they have sure proven they don’t deserve that trust.

Curt

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