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The Individual Mandate Backlash And Conservative Hysteria (Vomitorium Alert)
The New Republic ^ | 12/15/2010 | Jonathan Chaitt

Posted on 12/16/2010 3:09:51 PM PST by mojito

Starting in the early 1980s, up through well into 2009, the individual mandate was an eminently respectable Republican position, embraced by conservative policy wonks and leading Republicans. Since then, virtually the whole of the conservative movement has coalesced around the position that the individual mandate is not merely misguided but actually unconstitutional, a fact conservatives somehow overlooked during the previous three decades.

Indeed, conservatives now believe that the policy they once embraced (or at least tolerated) would amount to an abrogation of the very principle of limited government.

(Excerpt) Read more at tnr.com ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Crime/Corruption; Extended News; Government
KEYWORDS: liberaldishonesty; obamacare; smugfest; vomitorium
It's unclear to me whether Chaitt is being willfully ignorant, or simply dishonest.

One either believes in the virtues of limited government, or one does not.

But that's a distinction that's probably too subtle for a great liberal thinker like Chaitt.

1 posted on 12/16/2010 3:09:55 PM PST by mojito
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To: mojito

We’re winning.


2 posted on 12/16/2010 3:11:52 PM PST by dr_who
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To: mojito

No more “bleeding heart” or “compassionate” conservatism.


3 posted on 12/16/2010 3:13:10 PM PST by dr_who
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To: dr_who

Screw “compassionate” conservatism”.
What a crock


4 posted on 12/16/2010 3:15:32 PM PST by Joe Boucher ((FUBO))
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To: mojito
One either believes in the virtues of limited government, or one does not.

1984- "doublethink".

5 posted on 12/16/2010 3:18:07 PM PST by JimRed (Excising a cancer before it kills us waters the Tree of Liberty too! TERM LIMITS, NOW AND FOREVER!)
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To: mojito

“the individual mandate was an eminently respectable Republican position, embraced by conservative policy wonks and leading Republicans”

When you can define the position of your opponent, it makes arguing with them alot easier. It’s easy to label people as hypocrites when you can create their inconsistencies out of whole cloth.


6 posted on 12/16/2010 3:22:12 PM PST by Spok (Clueless, classless, clown...Obama.)
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To: mojito
Starting in the early 1980s, up through well into 2009, the individual mandate was an eminently respectable Republican position

When? The article throws this red herring out, but provides no substantiation.

7 posted on 12/16/2010 3:23:00 PM PST by doodad
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To: mojito

Liberals often use other ‘conservatives’ and Republicans as foils... “even XYZ believed in such-and-such, why can’t you?” is their claim.

never do they admit that many liberals are in dissent.
Nor do they ever acknowledge what the great body of conservative thought is thinking, or give it the respect it deserves.

Just foils for their arguments.


8 posted on 12/16/2010 3:28:23 PM PST by WOSG (Carpe Diem)
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To: mojito
In the article is a link to some quotations by republicans (Not conservatives) back in the 90's which appear to be supporting the idea of every head of household being required to buy some kind of health insurance for his family and himself. Context is missing so who knows.

In any event, it is a good sign that we are more lucid in our thinking now than some republicans were twenty years ago.

9 posted on 12/16/2010 3:40:45 PM PST by hinckley buzzard
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To: mojito

“They are also forcing the rest of us to pay higher insurance rates, now that insurance companies can no longer exclude those with preexisting conditions.”

Statements like this amount to willful stupidity. It’s the government healthcare law (not conservatives) that prevent insurance companies from taking preexisting conditions into account.


10 posted on 12/16/2010 3:47:08 PM PST by haroldeveryman
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To: dr_who

>>We’re winning.<<

I agree. I’ve been listening to the local station that was formerly our AIR America station, simply for comic relief and a breather from listening to people I agree with, and I’ve noticed a subtle shift. They still act like children and make ludicrous arguments and then pat themselves on the back for being so smart, but there is an almost tangible deflation in their spirit. It’s kinda fun to listen to them.

They are a bit like low level employees complaining about management decisions that are really hurting them, but they are powerless to change. And they cannot grasp that management is doing exactly the right thing.


11 posted on 12/16/2010 3:59:36 PM PST by RobRoy (The US Today: Revelation 18:4)
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To: dr_who; mojito

If you are going to let the NeoCons run the republican party you better get used to “big government” conservatism and compassionate conservatism.


12 posted on 12/16/2010 4:12:03 PM PST by Ben Ficklin
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To: hinckley buzzard

I could find a couple of Democrats who were pro-life. Does this mean that we can call out the left’s hypocrisy on that issue? I mean, they MUST all be pro-life after listening to these few.


13 posted on 12/16/2010 4:30:27 PM PST by Magnatron
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