Matthew Dowd: GOP Playing With Fire On Health Care

Former Bush strategist Matthew Dowd, who was something of a reliable GOP heretic during the 2008 campaign, offered another off-message moment on Sunday when he warned that the Republican Party was playing with fire on health care.

Appearing on ABC's "This Week," Dowd cautioned conservatives to not go too far in pushing back against Obama's agenda, lest they be blamed for actually preventing people from getting better health care coverage.

"I think the Republicans soon have to be careful of something," Dowd said. "I know Republicans are all patting themselves on the back and saying, "We've got the Democrats on the run, Obama on the run.' I don't think it's necessarily a good political place to be in by November if you've defeated any health care reform."

Dowd's remarks get at a looming reality in the current health care debate. There is a thin line between being credited for stopping the president and being blamed for defeating reform. While a majority of Americans like their current coverage, public polls show that similar or even greater percentages of the public believe the system is broken and in need of fixing.

The Republican Party certainly knows this. In an internal RNC poll, which the Huffington Post obtained and reported, 54 percent of respondents said that America had "the best health care in the world," but 70 percent said the system was "badly in need of reform."

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Comments

[blueken]

11:05 AM on 08/11/2009

My salary is about 50K a year. My employer pays about 16k a year for my health insurance for my wife and I. That means that right now my health care insurance is 24% of my compensation. I have a $15 co-pay for doctor visits. My co-pay on prescriptions can be as much as $45. The co-pay for a hospital stay is $250. The co-pay for ER is $50. My insurance company tells me what doctors I can see and what hospitals I can go to. They also have the right to deny elective surgery. Compared to a lot of people I have good insurance. Am I happy? Not so much. If I lose my job I will wish I still had it. I would probably lose my house and my lifetime savings. Could you tell me just what it is about this system that so many people like?

[Eilis27]

05:46 PM on 08/10/2009

1. Most Americans do not believe that the U.S. healthcare system is in a state of crisis. The economy outweighs healthcare as the most pressing problem in Americans' personal lives.
-At this point, almost 70% say economic-related issues are the nation's top problem; 16% say healthcare is the top problem.

2. Americans are not convinced that healthcare reform will benefit them personally. Most Americans are satisfied with their current medical care and access to healthcare.
-84% of Americans are insured and most say they are satisfied with their insurance and healthcare.

3. Americans agree that healthcare costs are a major problem for the country. Americans do not believe that healthcare reform would lessen costs -- neither for the system as a whole nor for individuals.
-45% say that healthcare costs would increase overall with new healthcare reform, 30% who say they would decrease.

Approximately 42 percent of adults aged 19 to 64 years old -- 75 million people -- were either underinsured or didn't have health insurance in 2007. That represents an increase of 33 percent since 2003, when the last survey was done, Schoen said.

[blueken]

10:56 AM on 08/11/2009

To quote Bill Maher "30% of Ameridans think that Christianity is older than Judism." Here is a hint for anyone that is confused "Old Testament vs New Testament." Oh yeah, and Jesus was a Jew. Everybody that thinks that we can continue to spend 17% of the GDP on health care raise your hand. Ok, how many think that we can continue to see health care costs rise 6.9% a year? The free market, private enterprise system had it's turn, time for something different. Either we go to a single payer universal health care system or the government limits profits for insurance and drug companies. I don't think option two will work, they will find a way around that one.

[hansulrichrudel]

05:45 PM on 08/10/2009

It seems that Obama Care is going to work something like this:

When you reach the age of 65 you will get an appointment with the "Death Panel" and be asked how long you plan on living and how you would most like to die. Then if you exceed your allotted years you'll get "overdue" notices from the "Death Panel" telling you that your future benefits may be in jeopardy if you file any more claims for health care other than hospice care or assisted suicide.

[RogHol]

01:14 AM on 08/11/2009

Yes, we all know that GOP is asking, begging for asssisted suicide.

[Eilis27]

05:38 PM on 08/10/2009

The number of American adults who had inadequate health insurance to cover their medical expenses rose 60 percent from 2003 to 2007, from 16 million to more than 25 million people. Hardest hit were families with middle and higher incomes, or those with an annual income of $40,000 or more.

Insurance coverage is the ticket into the health-care system. For too many, that ticket does not buy financial security or genuine access to care. Shifting costs to patients is not an equitable or effective solution to rising health-care costs. It is time for serious consideration of changes in the way we pay for and deliver health services. Ultimately, we need a national solution to the problem of millions of uninsured and underinsured Americans.

The report is published in the June 10 issue of Health Affairs. They found that among adults aged 19 to 64, 25.2 million were underinsured. That number was based on out-of-pocket health-care costs as a proportion of income. Overall, the study finds a startling 60 percent increase in the number of underinsured working age adults over the past four years. A jump up to 25 million underinsured in 2007, compared to only 16 million in 2003. Approximately 42 percent of adults aged 19 to 64 years old -- 75 million people -- were either underinsured or didn't have health insurance in 2007. That represents an increase of 33 percent since 2003, when the last survey was done.

[1murillo]

04:50 PM on 08/10/2009

Saying the SEIU started the mobs at the town halls is ludicrous for at least 2 reasons. 1) Labor wouldn't have a reason to disrupt these meetings, and 2) the timeline - look at any news source - clearly shows it was the far-right mobs who initiated this violence.
Even programs like Hannitys want to take credit for created the mob scenes.

[Lt]

11:54 AM on 08/11/2009

IT IS JUST NONE MORE REPUBLI'CON' LIE

THEY ARE FULL OF THEM

[1murillo]

04:44 PM on 08/10/2009

Dowd's like Palin. The GOP has played with fire for months, playing 'nice' won't stamp out the heat.

[Puddin]

03:32 PM on 08/10/2009

My client just left and she has a wonderful idea about what to do about the organized disruptions. My client is a very warm, sweet and intelligent woman from Austin, Texas. She is very political and she is also a pastor. She believes in non violence. Her idea is to organize people to start singing at these town halls (especially when the loud streaming becomes volatile). We would start singing peaceful uplifting songs the way they did in South Africa during apartheid and during the civil rights movement. I think this is a great idea.

The yelling and shoving has to stop!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! COME ON PEOPLE, LET'S DO THIS.

[IFTYS]

04:11 PM on 08/10/2009

The shoving didn't start until the SEIU showed up. The yelling however I see as unproductive.

[mjeffn]

02:44 PM on 08/10/2009

SINGLE PAYER, Now!

[RoveRoveRoveYourBoat]

02:21 PM on 08/10/2009

SINGLE PAYER OR DIE SWINDLED !

[IFTYS]

02:11 PM on 08/10/2009

axeldc wrote -- If Democrats fail to pass health reform, Obama can point to Mitch McConnell's gloating as the focus of public fury.

___________________________________________

Excuse me. But , the Democrats have a solid majority in the House and a filibuster-proof majority in the Senate, and could pass this without any GOP support. So who is dragging out the debate?

Uh, Democrats from swing districts who don’t want their names on this monstrosity, and might want a job in 2011. They need votes from all those gray-haired people, and it doesn’t look good when hundreds of them show up shouting and holding signs against obamaCare.

But of course, blame it on the Republicans.

Blame it on spreading "outlandish" rumors.

Or maybe, blame it on obama himself http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-bY92mcOdk

[Kiki1kat]

02:37 PM on 08/10/2009

You People are DUMB. Those gray-haired people are all on MEDICARE or something of that nature which is - by the way - GOVERNMENT PROGRAMS. So to say we don't want the government involved in our health care is like saying I don't want to eat any food because it could kill me.

That is the main problem. The Repugs don't want to change the health care system because they are receiving big money from the insurance companies. So if we get health care reform, they will loose their thousands, if not millions, of dollars that they are receiving. And that means no spending sprees for them or their wives (or mistresses), no fancy homes, no fancy cars, no high price vacations, no thousand dollars clothes, etc.

Push your Republican friends to present a health care reform package and then maybe, just maybe (by a long stretch of the imagination) people may listen. But when all you do is whin and cry and send racist individuals to disrupt town hall meetings, then you have nothing. Soon, and I mean very soon, someone is going to get seriously hurt and the true nature of these individuals will come out.

[Zapp384]

02:48 PM on 08/10/2009

You are wrong. The republican have not hid their feeling towards Obama, Republican leadership is on record to inflict hurt on Obama and pain on the American public. I am a republican for 40 long years, I have never seen or heard so much hatred from my beloved party. We lost the elections, either we participate in formulating healthcare policies or we get out of the way of this train, that has, if you do not know , has left the STATION.

[liviapeacock]

01:37 PM on 08/10/2009

"Keep your stinkin' governments hands off my Medicare!"

*sigh*

See what we're up against?

[IFTYS]

01:33 PM on 08/10/2009

horus45 wrote -- 76% of Americans want Single Payer Health Care.
______________________________________________

Nix that comment.

76% of Americans DON'T want this boondoggle.
76% of Americans DON'T want Single Payer.
76% of Americans DON'T want government-run health care PERIOD.

76% of Americans want the Health Care Left Alone.

[publanski]

02:21 PM on 08/10/2009

I can make up statistics to fit my point of view, too.

83% of the people showing up to protest at the town meetings have IQ's below 90.
79% of your family doesn't like you.
97% of your comments are B.S.

[IFTYS]

02:25 PM on 08/10/2009

I am just using the same statistic that horus45 used.
And you are right, it IS made up, JUST like horus45's numbers

[Kiki1kat]

02:39 PM on 08/10/2009

The space ship will be coming soon to return you to your planet. Just stay in the cornfield and wait for them.

[TexasLiberul]

02:51 PM on 08/10/2009

Liars will figure, and figures will lie.

[AxelDC]

01:31 PM on 08/10/2009

If Democrats fail to pass health reform, Obama can point to Mitch McConnell's gloating as the focus of public fury.

The message will be clear: we can't get anything done as long as Republicans still roam the halls of Congress. The public believed that in 2006 and 2008. Another 2010 drubbing could result in the termination of Republicans as a national party and encourage 3rd parties to replace them as the only viable opposition party.

[ycreek]

01:38 PM on 08/10/2009

How can Dems NOT get anything done despite Republicans roaming the halls of Congress?

[AxelDC]

02:05 PM on 08/10/2009

Because they are the Useless Party

[mmlk]

01:24 PM on 08/10/2009

What's scary is the number of people who think we have the best health care in the world. Stastistically we're number 37, not anywhere near number 1. There's a lot to be proud of in this country, but health care is not one of the areas about which we can pat ourselves on the back. If the poor ignorant fools who believe we're no. 1 would only use their brains more and their patriotic hearts and fear of change less, they would surely realize how ripped off and vulnerable they are. Our health care is at best mediocre, and that's only until you get sick or have a preexisting condition and have to change carriers.

[KayCo]

12:48 PM on 08/10/2009

Where in the h e l l are they getting this statistic that the majority of Americans are happy with their coverage? I demand to see a citation! Whoever took THAT poll certainlty didn't speak to me!

I want to tell the TRUTH! Yes, I have coverage for my family of four but it is taking a larger chunk of my paycheck! That is less money paying for food and bills and by they way, I am seeing the prices of gasoline started to make an upward climb again...(this is gong to be another Christmas when I am telling my children how the bad economy is affecting Santa's elves) Also, we are going to be paying more for Out of pocket costs. I had to set up a HSA(Health Savings Account) just to cover any deductibles and more money is taken out of my take home pay for this little jewel!

Hey you want the truth? I hate not having more money each month to cover living expenses because so much of my pay is tied up with health insurance and health savings account.! I would love to have a more affordable PUBLIC option so that I can better help support my family. Yes, I have coverage. Do I like it? A big fat resounding loud , "NO!!!"

[libster4]

01:01 PM on 08/10/2009

So well put. These teabag goofballs are too ignorant to see that they're are not only hurting themselves, they're hurting us all.

[MrsVantini]

02:09 PM on 08/10/2009

Oh they are more than that..look at the protestor who 'supposedly' got hurt last week. He showed up at another protest..in a wheelchair (what a farce) only to ask for donations to cover his medical expenses. Turns out he's unemployed and without health insurance, but he's out there protesting against having a system that would insure that he would have health insurance. I'm all for standing on your own feet and paying your own way but that's just taking it too far.

[JazzyJim]

03:05 PM on 08/10/2009

As a Democrat (Liberal = Christian) - this is a subject that is too funny almost; as we try and do good for the country, for most of the people on the "right" side as well, they can't see (the constituents) that their party is sabotaging "their" future as well. It's really quite an anomaly, but the Insurance Companies and the RNC Lobbyists are too "rich" to want to give up any of their power. The "hired hands" sabotage conversation should tell you as a citizen all you need to know about what is happening - $$$ is being spent to keep you from the truth; And it is frustrating to fight for the rights of all, when the other side is just knee deep in their own ignorance and laziness to understand.