Democrats' Rationale for Health Care Reform
In a recent Weekly Standard column, Resurgent Republic Advisory Board Member Gary Andres discusses four reasons why Democrats believe they are right to move forward with a partisan health care bill, which sheds light on why many Democrats are convinced “the only thing worse than passing health care reform is doing nothing at all.”
It's clear that their rationale does not stem from overwhelming public approval, so the alternative justifications include:
Public Education Thesis – “support will rise and opposition will ease” after congressional Democrats “explain what they did, why, and how it’s going to make a difference.” As seen from the post-stimulus bill debate, however, both sides contribute to the narrative and impact public opinion.
Americans Support Success – in this scenario, voters believe “getting a bill done – almost irrespective of its contents – will help boost the White House’s and Democrats’ political fortunes.”
As Good As It Gets – this theory supports passage of health care reform now because whether they act or not Democrats face greater “prospects of their party strength only shrinking next year.” Ironically, a major reason why Republicans have improved their standing on the generic congressional ballot is due to proposed government takeover of health care.
Energize the Base – “passing health care reform is a bit of a Holy Grail for Democrats” and “failure to enact this legislation would render a crippling blow to those most apt to volunteer” for Democrat candidates in 2010.
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