By Mark Esposito, Weekend Contributor
Even as the GOP struggles to hold onto to its wacky Tea Party base and appease the country clubbers who finance the show, it finds it can unite on one thing: It Loves the Affordable Care Act (“ACA”). That’s right, the party who issued dire warnings over death panels and runaway costs, and rationing, and lost jobs just heard from its grass-roots and … they LOVE it. According to the Commonwealth Fund, a private foundation that “aims to promote a high performing health care system that achieves better access, improved quality, and greater efficiency, particularly for society’s most vulnerable,” polling shows 74% of persons who had the guts to identify themselves as Republicans “said that they were very or somewhat satisfied with their new insurance plan.” And even more remarkably for that “sky-is-always-falling” crowd, they’re optimistic .. yes, optimistic, that “new health coverage will improve their ability to get the care they need.” What ? No waiting lines, no rationing of health care ? No shadowy board saying Grandma must die because she needs hormone replacement therapy?
What is this our conservative brethren cry? Well, it’s reality and everything Republican leaders hoped — for purely political reasons — it wouldn’t be. Like the number of uninsured dropping from 15.6% to 13.4% in just one quarter. This is “the lowest quarterly average recorded since Gallup and Healthways began tracking the percentage of uninsured Americans in 2008. ” Oh, then there’s the actual people who now can get the healthcare they need (and that most civilized nations regard as a civil right). Over fifteen million Americans have signed up for coverage by the end of the last enrollment period and about 8 million went through the exchange. A Kaiser Survey found that nearly 6 out of 10 of the 8 million who enrolled in the marketplace were previously uninsured. Maybe that will reduce the 25,000 American per year who, pre-ACA, were dying from little or no healthcare.
And what about the demographics of those recently insured? Those cut across all age groups except those 65+ due to their eligibility to Medicare.
Not seeing the doctor of their choice, I bet. Nope that canard has gone the way of the buggy whip too, according to the Washington Post. “Just about one in five of those with new coverage, though, said they tried to find a primary care doctor — but of those, 75 percent said their search was somewhat easy or very easy.” So 80% kept their doctor, and 75% said getting a new one –if they had to — was easy. That lying Obama saying that everyone will get to keep their doctor and plan. Throw him in jail for that whopper!
And lastly, what about that great Republican bugaboo. You know the one where we’ll all wait years for surgeries or even just to see a specialist under Obamacare? Well, the Commonwealth Fund says that 58% of those newly insured who needed to see specialists did so in two weeks. Two weeks? That’s how long it tales me to get a plumber out to my house!
So, with the dire predictions of the demise of healthcare system via the ACA effectively debunked what does it mean for the GOP’s singular wedge issue? Plan B: The President’s travel schedule? ( He won’t “visit the border,” you know) Well, maybe, but the bigger problem is the disconnect between GOP leadership and its apparently healthy and satisfied membership. Taking away the things that people like by their own government has never really been a winning political strategy. See, Prohibition, i.e. disaster.
Even more politically challenging is that independents love Obamacare more than Republicans. By a 85% to 15% gap, independent voters can’t get enough of quality affordable health care that, for the first time in a long time, actually costs less per month than their mortgage. Try that on for size GOP. Who’s left to vote? Undocumented workers? Oh, sorry, they can’t and well, a lot are Hispanic and … you know … you’re not doing so great on immigration reform. Next subject, please.
Already facing a demographic nightmare in 2016 when even more young people and minorities are expected to vote, the GOP presidential chances stand at a crossroads. Give up the best issue you thought you had: government “takeover” of the healthcare system or change? What would a savvy political party do? Well, change of course. For the GOP? Well, they do love a good collision course with reality sometimes.
Ok, all you political operatives in the making, what do you think:
Source: Commonwealth Fund and throughout.
~Mark Esposito, Weekend Contributor
By the way and for better or worse, the views expressed in this posting are the author’s alone and not necessarily those of the blog, the host, or other weekend bloggers. As an open forum, weekend bloggers post independently without pre-approval or review. Content and any displays of art are solely the author’s decision and responsibility. No infringement of intellectual property rights is intended and will be remedied upon notice from the owner. Fair use is however asserted for such inclusions of quotes, excerpts, photos, art, and the like.
Link to poll?
Keep drinking the grape koolaid & selling propaganda BS mespo.
Me, I’ve other things to do then attempt to correct every misleading internet poster..
** Poll: What Do You Think?
Is Obama Care going to make you want to vote for Democrats or Republicans in November?
Republicans (72%, 769 Votes)
I don’t care about the Obama Care issue. (15%, 157 Votes)
I don’t know. (8%, 83 Votes)
Democrats (5%, 52 Votes)
Total Voters: 1,061 **
nick:
“I’m sure MSNBC doesn’t want JT. He hasn’t drunk the Obama Koolaid. He speaks ill of the King. That is unacceptable on MSNBC.”
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I think he was just on MSNBC in late June talking to Kornaki.
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2014/06/25/jonathan_turley_obama_has_effectively_rewritten_laws_he_has_crossed_the_constitutional_line.html
nick:
“If you think there’s a lick of difference between mouth foamers from MSNBC and Fox, well then…!”
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Well, one difference is that Fox supports, as one of its prominent members calls it, the “Party of Stupid,” and MSNBC doesn’t.
That’s enough difference for me.
I do think CNN played a role for folks like you who can be reasonable and articulate, but many of the head-spinners sound just like the Fox News groupies. Can you imagine drawing from my comments that women shouldn’t be cops of service-persons? That’s pure Faux News.
I’m sure MSNBC doesn’t want JT. He hasn’t drunk the Obama Koolaid. He speaks ill of the King. That is unacceptable on MSNBC.
Mespo, This blog’s “pioneer” commenters was formed from JT’s appearances on MSNBC, including the insane, Keith Olbermann. JT draws commenters from his appearances on CNN, where he has appeared for decades. That’s where I got to know him. Some new commenters have said that CNN was how they found this forum. If you think there’s a lick of difference between mouth foamers from MSNBC and Fox, well then…! And, not all viewers of those 2 extremes are mouth foamers, but many are.
Darren, Can I tip you via Paypal?
Annie:
I call it the right-wing red tide. Ever since JT began appearing on Fox News we’ve seen the phenomena. I am heartened however to see that some of the Foxers can actually read. Kinda gives you hope they can be “educated” out of the delusion. Until then we fight the good fight,
Meapo, have you noticed the uptick in general weirdness in commenters here lately? I have.
Terry:
“funny enough I agree with you however. Women should not be in law enforcement or the military either.”
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I anxiously await your update on the price of tea in China given your epic non-sequitur. Never said it; never implied it; never even thought it was true.
mespo727272
nick:
I agree with rafflaw and sm. Insulting Elaine, who is one of the nicest folks around, for no good reason is off the reservation. I may be Victorian in my attitudes but a man attacking a woman — even verbally — is bad form at best and bullying at worst. I admire your pluck; just aim the arrow elsewhere.
Then they should stay off of political forums. Though that seems pretty sexist from you. Funny enough I agree with you however. Women should not be in law enforcement or the military either.
It’s ironic that those who complain about the increase in healthcare costs weren’t complaining during the GOP GWB ‘free market’ days when healthcare increased by 47% and millions more were uninsured compared to the 27% increase under Obama with millions more being covered…..
Here’s a nice little chart for you. Healthcare costs for a family increased from $6438 to $12,106, or 47%, under the conservative GWB GOP, but since 2007 the increase has been from 12,106 to %16,351, or 26%. http://kff.org/interactive/premiums-and-worker-contributions/
governors …25republicans 25 democrats
Senate …48dems plus 2 independents caucusing with them = Biden as tie breaker. That is my best case scenario today.
It’s 29-21 Rep to Dem governors now. What is your best case scenario after the election?
I can tell you I had hopes for Mary Burke but she keeps pissing on her leg. I wouldn’t hold my breath for her pulling an upset. Whether you believe it or not I hope to vote for her. I know all you Dem cultists are sure I’m a damn Republican. Which means you think I’m a liar.
nick, I think every one expects the republicans to make gains in red states that voted for Romney. There are seven such senate seats up. The house is so gerrymandered that not much will change. The affordable care lawsuit guy Boehner hopes he can stave off the tea party and remain speaker. The chance for the democrats comes in the governorships…WI PA FLA MI ME are all in play with the democrats holding solid leads in three out of the five.
I always taught my players to not taunt or trash talk. Just ignore the taunts, win the game, and @ the end of the game simply say, “Scoreboard.” Who will be saying “Scoreboard” in November. Come on..you all know!!
It is simple, rational math.
Making health insurance cost double in premiums, and increase by 1100% in deductibles, and reduce doctor choice is bad for the American people. Mathematically, it has an effect on families’ budgets. Increasing costs by hundreds of dollars every month creates choices, such as between food and health care. Obamacare was supposed to be a humane solution to improving health care for the poor, but it just targeted a group that had been doing well before.
This is simple math, folks, and it shouldn’t be so hard to understand.
It would be best if Liberal Democrats keep plowing ahead. They should face the consequences of their actions. They are responsible for what they have done – namely, made health insurance unaffordable for the middle class on the individual market (i.e. small businesses), and they have given the poor a false promise of health care with a shiny new insurance card that most quality doctors will not accept. They are responsible for cancer patients who lost their excellent health insurance and are no longer covered at the best cancer hospitals in the world. How many people with cancer will lose their chance at remission because Obamacare restricts them to local hospitals, which might not specialize in their type of cancer? In the “good old days,” I could go almost anywhere in CA and be served by Blue Cross. But the HMO model is returning, thanks to Obamacare. How many middle class families have to cancel their insurance because they can no longer afford it, thanks to Obamacare? This has done long lasting, severe damage to the American people.
They should simply stay the course, rather than take a self-serving and insincere change of heart. Because then they will face some rather grim music, be voted out, and we can give other parties a chance to fix the terrible mess they’ve made of the economy and health care.