Posted on 06/30/2015 4:31:45 PM PDT by lowbridge
If you’re old enough to recall how the landslide election of Lyndon Johnson over the hapless Barry Goldwater spelled the end of the Republican Party, or how Ronald Reagan’s election amounted to a revolution that put the Democratic party on the mat until — more or less — the end of time, then you will understand my caution in saying that while the Republican Party may well survive its recent difficulty, Republicanism itself is dead. I think.
The recent difficulties consist of taking the wrong side in the great health care debate, not only opposing what came to be called Obamacare, but refusing to produce an alternative. People are worried about their health and the party comes up with buffoons like Sarah Palin who invents death panels and trivializes the whole debate. Obamacare is not only the law of the land, it is the inevitable next step toward universal health care — just like most countries have, even the poorer ones.
The party’s other recent difficulty is being on the wrong side of just about every social issue you can think of. The Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage throughout the land and Republican after Republican stepped forward to denounce the decision and prattle on about what God intended — as if any of them know.
Some, like Chris Christie, reached for that hoary cliche about unelected men in black robes. Christie is hardly the first to discover the awesome power of the American judiciary and he turns out to be using the same language school desegregation opponents did in 1954. Then, too, an alleged horrible dictatorship of the judiciary was denounced — but the nation moved on.
(Excerpt) Read more at nydailynews.com ...
“Alternatives” as in a different form of government-mandated health insurance?
On a side note, do you also remember a little
farther back when the color red represented
the Democrat party and the Republican party
was represented by the color blue in MSM
lingo? When it flipped those of us with a clue
quickly came to the conclusion that the media dolts
figured that red was too closely identified with
Red China and the USSR so it made the ‘Rats
a little uncomfortable.
universal health care — just like most countries have, even the poorer ones.
I have never seen the need for Obembacare, nor do I see a need for an ‘alternative plan’.
Things were fine BEFORE Obembacare in that those who could afford insurance paid for it. Those who could not afford it got free medical care anyway.....on our dime.
The only difference is that Obembacare is SOCIALISM!
Hillary is depending on the demographics, so it’s not the number of candidates, but which one makes it to the general election and the potential he/she has to alter those numbers.
Actually, Mr. Cohen the ancient Holy texts are quite clear.
The belief that secularism is what ought to be the guiding philosophy is a sure way to doom.
Hapless Barry Goldwater?... Barry had the answers..
Barry would have made Clinton’s a non happening..
Lyndon was a liar fully as bad as Barry Sotoro....
As corrupt as the Clintoon’s.. as malicious as Harry Reid or Pelosi..
LYNDON was a BAD MAN... but not as stupid as Carter..
or as dumb as JFK or his brothers..
That democrat may be correct about Christie, BUT Democrats are and will be saying that about ALL republican candidates no matter who they are basically because they’re blind partisans. Their true problem they have against the republicans is their party affiliation and nothing more. Guaranteed if Christie were a registered Dem, that democrat among many others would be singing Christie’s praises.
I used the word alternatives because it was the word used in the article.
My idea of an alternative does NOT include government mandated health insurance. They have nothing. Hell, they are still taking about Obamacare collapsing under its own weight.
Thanks for the clarification.
Nobody in the Uniparty will ever mention (or admit) that the real “alternative” existed before any government programs that interfered in the medical profession came to be.
“buffoons like Sarah Palin”
Who are you again, and why should I give a damn what you scribble?
Look at how Chavez transformed Venezuela.
We currently have a communist moslem faggot foreign left wing dictator in the WH with a blackmailed bunch of degenerate homosexuals and lesbians on his "Supreme Court" as his allies.
Unless he is ready to start CWII, he will be gone soon.
The USA is Post Constitutional and the RIGHT WING DICTATOR IS COMING.
Nor is it the case that Republicans haven't proposed any alternatives. What they haven't done is propose any alternatives that will leave the federal government in charge of health care, and the reason they haven't done so is because it's wrong. Nor, frankly, does it appear to be a matter that anyone in the country is clamoring for outside the carefully sequestered editorial boards of the major news media.
I can understand a certain anxiety, however, because both sides still lack a credible candidate but only one has a roster of potentials, and it isn't Cohen's, not unless he can foresee an LBJ-esque tidal wave of support for the likes of Hillary, Warren, Sanders, or Biden. If he can, I'd love to have some of whatever he's smoking.
“but refusing to produce an alternative.”
go to agree with this....it didn’t have to be a gov’t subsidized crap sandwich but the GOPe did nothing to offer anything better...
Only we were BLUE back then and the DemocRATS had RED for their color.
It was a better fit for those stinking COMMUNISTS !
You are correct. The red/blue Rep./Dem. distinction goes back only to 2000, when it was introduced by Tim Russert. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_states_and_blue_states
“Nor is it the case that Republicans haven’t proposed any alternatives. What they haven’t done is propose any alternatives that will leave the federal government in charge of health care, and the reason they haven’t done so is because it’s wrong. Nor, frankly, does it appear to be a matter that anyone in the country is clamoring for outside the carefully sequestered editorial boards of the major news media.”
The Republicans have controlled the House and the Senate for six months. During that time they haven’t even tried to pass a bill ending Obamacare and replacing it with a market based plan. “Proposals” aren’t legislation, they are just words. Until they actually write legislation and pass it, there is no alternative to Obamacare.
The road to hell is paved with good intentions. My GOP Congresswoman fills her weekly emails to constituents about all of the work they are doing, plans they are making, and how hard they are fighting. When I respond asking what exactly they have done in really addressing these issues and putting bills on Obama’s desk to sign or veto, I get no reply.
Talk is cheap. I’ll believe the Republicans have an alternative when a bill is written, passed and sits on Obama’s desk for his signature or veto. Until then, it is just posturing for the masses with no real intention to do anything.
That is, if I understand your position correctly, the only acceptable "alternative": to end the mess completely. The longer it stays in place the messier it's likely to be. My guy took his thirty pieces of silver and voted Boehner into office predicated on that very thing. Empty promises.
“Oh, the latest party line (I’ve been in touch with my “representative”) is the the GOP has made no fewer than 50 *attempts* to end 0bamacare, but the people touting it aren’t being very specific about just exactly what they were. Like you, I’m a little skeptical (like the ocean is a little wet).”
From 2011 to 2014, when the GOP controlled the House and the Dems under Reid controlled the Senate, the GOP House did send 50 Obamacare repeal bills to the Senate. They knew Reid would either table them or the Dems would vote the repeal bills down. Exactly what happened. This allowed the GOP to say they “tried”.
What is interesting, now that they have control of the House and Senate, they have the ability to pass a repeal bill and actually force Obama to accept or reject it. They’ve had 6 months to do so and haven’t lifted a finger. This tells me they aren’t serious about repeal or they are afraid to have any direct confrontation with Obama.
Consider the big victory they gave Obama with passage of TPP. What did they get for it? Nothing. In the old days the opposition party controlling Congress would have struck a deal for something meaningful if they supported a major initiative of the POTUS. For example, we’ll vote for TPP if you agree to the following changes in O’care. Don’t agree, no deal. Unfortunately Boehner and McConnell are not hardball negotiators in the mold of Tip O’Neill, Nancy Pelosi, and Harry Reid. As a result, when they help Obama they get nothing in return.
As to Obamacare, passage of repeal alone is politically not viable. The Republicans need to have an alternative plan that makes sense. The issue of preexisting conditions needs to be addressed for example. Many on this forum will tell you people with preexisting conditions are schemers who want a free ride — find out they have cancer and then want to buy health insurance.
Actually there are millions who paid into the system for years under the old system and found themselves without insurance. For example, the 55 year old who gets let go by his/her employer and develops cancer while on COBRA. He/she is too sick to go back to work. After 18 months the former employer COBRA ends and the former employee cannot buy health insurance in the private market due to the preexisting condition. Should someone who had insurance, and paid into the system for decades, be denied insurance? Another example is people in the private insurance market who paid for years, and were treated for a condition. They move to another state. Since the old (and current) health insurance market is a state by state market and not a national market, the person is rejected by insurance companies in the new state due to the preexisting conditions. Like the first example, this is someone who paid into the system for decade, not someone without insurance trying to buy insurance because a serious and expensive health care issue has developed.
Transparency in pricing is another reform needed for the health care industry. Transparent pricing would result in more aggressive competition and lower cost.
Finally, the old system did not allow for competition nationally, which would bring scale to the marketplace and lower costs. Opening up the old system to national competition would have been a significant reform and should be part of any Obamacare repeal.
In summary, if the Republicans were serious about eliminating Obamacare they would write, pass, and put a bill on Obama’s desk repealing Obamacare and replacing it with a serious market based insurance system that allowed competitive market forces to work and protected consumers who paid into the insurance system for years and contracted an expensive health issue.
The absence of action by the GOP is revealing.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.