Yes, of course the president wants his signature health care law upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court... but I suspect (suspect, since no honest person can say he knows) that it would help him politically if the statute were to be struck down in its entirety. This November election could be close and enthusiasm really matters in a close election. So how does he rev up the enthusiasm? Right now he has considerable drag e.g., gas prices.
Striking down the statute could really rev up the president's base -- add fuel to their current political mantra fire about a 'war on women.' I can think of the ads now, can't you? The president's enthusiasm level among his supporters has been sagging -- something that happens during a second term campaign -- and he needs something to throw his weight behind to really drive his supporters to the polls. An existing health care law won't do it since it feels a bit like, 'been there, done it.' Striking the law down, on the other hand, could really be used to put political panic in his supporters.
Plus... if the law is stricken by the U.S. Supreme Court, those current less-than-enthusiastic Republican voters, and the independents furious about health care may not find their way to the polls come November if they have achieved what they already wanted -- getting rid of the health care law. They may feel a bit ho-hum about voting since they got what they wanted.
Of course if some giant international or domestic event happens, health care law will become irrelevant as it gets pushed down our collective radar screen. And of course, much could happen between now and November.
What do you think? Am I wrong? (By the way, people I know who spends lots of time thinking about politics say I am wrong about this one... )
Cross-posted from GretaWire, where it first appeared.
Walt Rowen: Small Business Owners Say the Future Looks Bleak If Health Care Law Overturned
CATO or Heritage Foundation produces them. They are full of CATO / Heritage words and phrases.
How is that hope and change doing for you that you heard about in 08????? Didnt know it came with some rules and restrictions???? Whoops.
The big corporate lobbyists want Obamacare. They WROTE Obamacare. It was THEIR IDEA. They LOVE the idea of Americans being MANDATED to buy insurance from CORPORATE AMERICA.
So it'll pass the Supreme Court. Trust me.
your concept of society is a tool to advantage yourself. mr. obama is at least slightly better than that...
The very threat by the conservative e anti republic, anti citizens majority of the Supremes, has energized the voters.
The crazy, keep the women barefoot pregnant in in the kitchen, GOP conservatives have also alienated all the sane women in the USA.
Vote my friends, if we all vote, the citizens would win every time.
Don't let the republic fall to the big money tools.
so the secret is out.
The best thing in the world would be if the Supremes tossed out the whole Act, lock, stock and barrel.
Then the President can campaign against the court, the crazy right wing, the greedy 'health insurance' insurance industry and we can go straight to the only viable solution anyhow----plain old vanilla socialist universal coverage-single payor health care.
All power rests with the corporation.
I'm totally covered by my retirement health insurance and Medicare.
How about you?
1) If it stays in tack he wins - the voters will be pleased about it
2) If only the requirement to purchase insurance is stuck down he still wins because the insurance companies will go out of business and the government will run healthcare
3) If the whole ACA is struck down he wins because the country will be so ticked off many Republicans will be voted out of office
Obama can't lose on this one. I think the best thing for him is if the Supreme Court votes it down in its entirely.
1. will less of the GOP base show up if the healthcare law is already defeated ? ... Perhaps, but in many ways nominating Romney has already burst the bubble of the GOP base on that issue ....
2. will more of the Dem. base will show up if the law goes down ? .. more likely .. but it will be less about healthcare and more about turning the partisan supreme court in their favor .. most of the dems I know are split on healthcare .. those that think that the ACA was a beginning but that it is really about single payer .. and that defeat of ACA may actually move us toward that ... and other dems that see that it took 50 years to get this far and might be pretty demoralized by seeing it torn down ..
3. but your article leaves out the middle of the electorate ... will they see on one hand Obama losing the achievement he spent so much capital to achieve or will they see a supreme court continuing with a very partisan string of decisions .. and how will that play out.
Lowest ranked healthcare at 5X's the cost. If we had good healthcare, it would automatically be cheaper. I hope Obama addresses that, and completely shoots doen Pelosi care and creates real Obama Care.
Those who know how bad the entire healthcare system is, had hope the quality of care would be what was changed.
Instead we got a front loaded, watered down version of this put dated drug selling Big Pharma, Big Insurance Co. scam. Drugs do not heal or cure. They chemically treat organic symptoms that create permanent and deadly side effects.
People are finally figuring this out. Come on Obama, make this YOUR Healthcare. There were too many cooks in this one. You and Michelle had a dream, make it happen. Do it right. You must know how low our healthcare is ranked.
Let's make it the best! Millions of us are waiting for the real change. Be the people.
I think because they look at the wrong things.
For example, Dick Cheyney at age 71 had a heart transplant and lived.
That is a remarkable achievement of medical care.
Clearly clearly had top notch care and top notch doctors.
So, in that way, our medical system is very good, possibly the best in the world.
The problem is not that our medical system is not good, I think, the problem is that our medical system is inaccessible. Too many American citizens do not have access to our medical system. They do not have quality care because, unlike Cheyney, they do not have the money to purchase it. In that way, our medical system is very bad.
No one wants to admit that money is more important than any other qualification when it comes to health care in this country. Why that is, I do not know, but that seems to be the particular set of blinders the MSM has chosen to wear.