You probably didn’t know that public opinion today is less favorable to a major overhaul of the health care system than it was the last time a big push was made back in 1993. From the Pew Research Center:
As health care reform legislation moves forward in Washington, the political environment is somewhat different than the last time a major overhaul of the health care system was attempted sixteen years ago. In early 1993 the sense of a health care crisis was far more widespread than it is today – a 55% majority in 1993 said they felt the health care system needed to be “completely rebuilt” compared with 41% today. Health care costs were also a broader problem in 1993 – 63% of Americans said paying for the cost of a major illness was a “major problem” for them, compared with 48% currently.
The issue of limiting overall health care spending is also more prominent in 2009 than it was in 1993. Somewhat fewer today say the country spends “too little” on health care, and a larger share believe that limiting the overall growth in health care costs is a higher priority than expanding coverage. But overall, public support for guaranteed access to medical care for all Americans remains widespread.
And some say that a major reason for the Republican takeover of the US House in 1994 was a direct result of the pushback against nationalized health care, or, as it was called at the time, "Hillary-care." Will "Obama-care" bring the same response? Now is the time for the Republicans to recruit good candidates that can take advantage of the coming backlash.
What we as conservative members of the GOP must watch out for and be on the guard against is the resurgence of the moderate Charlie Bass/Christopher Shays– types. Seeing them go was about the only happy by-product of recent Democratic electoral successes. We need to nominate good, solid free-marketeers unabashedly promoting basic, small-government, private property-protecting conservatism for the next round of National elections. Otherwise, we’re going to get stuff like socialized medicine and other socialistic systems whether we like it or not. The compromisers give ground that it is often difficult, or impossible to regain once lost. We’re on the brink NOW. Hopefully, learning this polling data reveals that public opinion is on the side of right, it can be translated into action come election time.
Oh, and one last thought. Instead of bullying my private insurance carrier out of business, how about making MY access to health care easier. Why don’t you let Wal Mart or CVS or anyone else, for that matter, open so-called convenience care centers offering basic medical care at an affordable rate? Why can’t I purchase insurance to cover specific circumstances of extreme need instead of the everything option? Auto insurance works that way. Why not offer tax incentives for people to deduct health care from their income taxes, and encouraging good health practices through a worthwhile HSA saving/health card option where unspent monies stay with the ratepayer?
Indeed, there are many alternatives that can actually fix what degrades the system. In fact, if you are like me, you believe that what truly ails it is too much government involvement. What we need is MORE free market and LESS government. That’s the opposite of what Obama and the Democrats are offering. I think that over time, most Americans will come to understand that, news propaganda outlets like ABC notwithstanding…