Day ain't over yet, heh.
Posted on 10/11/2013 12:56:22 PM PDT by cotton1706
Yes, I never actually thought we’d win this ‘Defund Obamacare’ battle and my guess is many of you didn’t either.
Look, I don’t think any of us are idiots. While it might be plausible to get something passed in the House and maybe even get a few Democrats to pass something in the Senate that would defund Obamacare, Obama would never sign it. I knew that coming out of the gate with this strategy.
But despite that it was paramount that we have the fight. Why? Two reasons.
One, we fight to change hearts and minds because we are not fighting just a battle, but a war. With the 2014 elections coming up it’s of paramount importance for Republicans to lay out a vision to the American people to repeal Obamacare. We know that if we want to repeal it we’ve got to win big in both the House and the Senate and with elections coming up, we must make sure the American people know that if they elect Republicans then Obamacare WILL BE REPEALED. It’s about creating momentum. Sure, we may lose this battle, but we win the war if the American people are on our side. And that’s what Ted Cruz and Mike Lee have been doing.
Before Mike Lee and Ted Cruz began fighting this summer, repealing Obamacare was something that was hardly ever seriously discussed. Sure, we voted in the House to repeal it a bunch of times but everyone knew that wasn’t going anywhere. No, what we should have been doing for the last 2 or 3 years was waging war against Obamacare, using opportunities like this one to stand our ground against it. So when Ted Cruz and Mike Lee decided to wage war against it this summer, I was on board.
The second reason is this. When you are heading for negotiations you don’t put all your cards on the table. You start where you would ideally like to be and you fight like hell for that, knowing that along the way there might be some compromise that you can live with. And then you let the process unfold. In fact, when the House finally ended up at the ‘delay’ strategy, I knew that was a good compromise and a winnable position. The problem is we probably got there a little to quick. We should have let the Democrats shut down the government after we passed a bill to defund Obamacare instead of negotiating with ourselves until we reached the delay strategy. If we had done that, then getting to the delay strategy during the shutdown would have then looked like an actual compromise. But even so, I still think it’s a winning position but it must be fought for and articulated so that the American people understand it clearly. It’s all about fairness and even the Jon Stewart’s of the world get that.
So I’ve never been under any delusion that we will actually defund Obamacare. But if the Republicans screw up the opportunity to get the individual mandate delayed, then they will have proved that they can’t even win even when they have a winning strategy.
And let me say this. Despite all the criticisms Boehner has gotten in the past from me and other conservatives, I’ve been happy to support him in this government shutdown. I never thought he’d do it actually, but he did. But to the Peter Kings and John McCains and others like them, they have nothing but my contempt. They have proven that even when the American people speak they won’t listen. And they’ve also proven they don’t have a clue how to win. They have no strategic vision and would rather fight and disunify the Republican Party and make enemies of the very people that are trying to save the country just because they disagree with them. I hope the Tea Party rips them to shreds in the next election.
I didn’t think so, either. Not because it was a ‘lost cause’, but because RINOs give up time after time. There was no realistic expectation that they would stand on principle. Most of them have none.
Next, a public relations campaign highlighting, trumpeting every ObamaCare nightmare, twitch, glitch, tax, etc. AND solutions, Conservative ones, to any health care problems.
Hey to me, it’s been an eye opener as to how we got where we are. While I blame Obama and the Dems for most of the damage,,the pompous traitor RINOs are the real destroyers..they have sold us out over and over.
Now I know who they are..and I understand why they are mad at Cruz. He acts like he belongs to the opposition party, which he does! They want to pretend they get along,,,which they do.
Those two things are mutually exclusive with Obama in the SpiteHouse
So when you have the momentum, just punt, tell the fans that you knew all along that you couldn’t make a touchdown that time and hope the next set of downs goes better.
The whole point is to make as big a stink as could be made. It will soon be the public’s turn to pass judgment in Nov. Obama + Reid could never agree to a one year delay in the mandate, as it would effectively kill Obamacare. The Dems could never try a second roll out in the middle of an election. Now: Drip, drip, drip. We need to Alinsky it. Ridicule Obamacare at every opportunity.
If that is the case, why does he not then sign a CR which doesn't fund Obamacare?
Something doesn't add up. He is lying about Obamacide not depending on a CR funding it, or he is planning a coup of Congressional authority. Either way, I think he is panicking behind closed doors, and trying to bluff in public.
When it comes to delay, I am thinking that the more of Obama Care trainwreck that is attempted, the more the American people will hate it. Wouldn’t that make it easier for the Pubbies in 2014?
If the Pubbies don’t win the control of the Senate, and retain control of the house, can you imagine how much pain Obama will inflict? You thought that the first couple of years and Obama Care were bad? You ain’t seen nothin’ yet.
Well conservative comrades it appears that our GOP warriors are going to agree to re-open the govt, increase the debt ceiling and agree to increase Medicare costs for better off seniors to offset some of the other budget cuts that have already been put in place. So total surrender and raise cost on seniors. Thats it period end of conversation as far as I can detect.
I could have negotiated a better deal than that over the phone with Barry.
Day ain't over yet, heh.
We didn’t defeat Japan when Doolittle and his raiders bombed Tokyo in the early days of the war either - however - it shifted the fight to enemy turf and inspired the entire Allied effort. Cruz’ filibuster and this fight is Doolittle’s raid.....and the enemy did NOT expect us to accomplish what we have already.
The House should, if it hasn’t already, finish passing all bills needed to fund the entire government excepting of course Obamacare. And then get on to whatever other work it has pending
That leaves it up to Reid and obama to do their jobs. Or not. But it will be clear to the world that the House did its job and any “blame” for “shutting g the govt down” belongs with Reid and Obama. Besides, I think they’ll accede to the House of Representatives’ power of the purse. It’s just that right now they think they can bluff or steamroll Boehner.
I agree that this was more a part of the larger strategy than a battle that could reasonably be won this time around (i.e. defunding Obamacare). But anything that delays and keeps Obamacare front-and-center for 2014 mid-terms will be helpful to those candidates who have the courage to stand up and run against it. In that regard, this fight may indeed represent a pivotal shift, helped in no small part by the catastrophic roll-out, horrible websites, and inevitable price increases and other nasty parts of Obamacare that the public is only now becoming aware of.
Agree 100% with the article, but the repubs let the message get away from them and allowed it to focus on parks and monuments and other trivia so the real issue got lost... As hard as it has been for us (furloughed) it was still the right fight at the right time...
Agree with all!!
True leadership is to know that sometimes one has to act on the principles involved and NOT BY PREDICTIONS OF RESULTS. . .It was LEADERSHIP that caused the signers of the Declaration to pledge their lives, their fortune and their sacred honor. . .. .McCain, Graham, McConnell, Cornyn, Corker. . .NONE OF THEM would have stood firm at Independence Hall in 1776! They are not men. . they are not leaders. . .they are the ones of whom history, thank God, can soon forget
Letter just sent to Boehner:
“Once again you have failed as speaker - at the moment of victory you have surrendered. Our family has voted Republican for over a 100 years. But no more - never again will our family cast a single vote for your traitorous party. May the ashes of the Republican Party be flushed down the toilet where they belong.”
Absolutely THE WORST time for the GOP to back down or to compromise. They needed to press ahead at a steady pace as obama’s support among his own people was cracking. What fools these rinos be - they have sentenced the once great nation of America to certain collapse.
I will focus all my energies on a third party.
I actually thought we would, and i still think we will win. I’m just amazed at how many democrats are staying with this. You can look at the numbers and the empirical evidence and see that it is going to be a disaster. There is no escape. I think at some point they will give up but it’s going to take a strong message in November. It’s going to have to be Democrats and Rhinos both losing to send the clear message.
The debacle that is coming with Obamacare will be entirely owned by the Dems.
Dems will NEVER admit that Obamacare is not working - they will insist that it is underfunded, or that Republicans are putting up roadblocks. Liberals never admit to mistakes, just project towards conservatives.
Dems will NEVER admit that Obamacare is not working - they will insist that it is underfunded, or that Republicans are putting up roadblocks. Liberals never admit to mistakes, just project towards conservatives.And a majority of the people who vote believe them.
Which explains our predicament.
I agree that this entire sordid episode has had a negative impact on Obama & the Dems, but the topic was specific to Defunding Obamacare. I don’t think there’s any question that the question of defunding has been effectively mooted, as that aspect of the disputed is barely mentioned anymore.
It’s become all about the shutdown, who’s to blame for it, the debt ceiling and the prospect of default. And, ultimately, how much more ground the toothless Pubbies will give up. We know they will.
Defund what, again?
“You start where you would ideally like to be and you fight like hell for that...”
Actually, the opposite is true. You ask for everything, offer nothing, and negotiate down to what you really want. That way you make the other guy feel like he’s a winner when you’ve really gotten everything you wanted in the first place. This is the tactic Democrats use and it simply proves Republicans are naive (to the point of irresponsibility) in dealing with them.
Why?
Obamacare stinks....
The Dems alone forced it on you.
The only way to get rid of it?
Hold your nose and take your medicine....vote Conservative
It's ok...you don't ever have to do it again.
But here's your choice
One spoonful now with the clothespin, or bottles and bottles of nasty stuff for the rest of your life.
There are a lot of people in the mushy middle, and a lot who historically voted Democrat that will start considering this option to be the lesser of two evils.
People who find out they can’t afford the “affordable care” they were promised will remember who it was who tried to stop it. And I’m not talking about republicans. I’m talking about Ted Cruz.
When you never try, you are assured of losing. Cruz and Lee have the stones. Jellyfish McConDemocRat is a POS.
The 1st rule in a negotiation is, “Always ask for MORE than you think you can get.”
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