Little-Acorn
03-22-2010, 10:58 AM
I said in another thread, that the people mostly at fault for Socialized Medicine being imposed on us on 21 Mar 2010, were REPUBLICANS. As Pogo said, we have met the enemy, and it is us. Republicans should have known better than to start acting like Democrats, and legislate in ways that got them kicked out in 2006 and 2008, thus letting the barbarians enter the gates of Constitutional government.
So, what do we do to prevent this from happening in the future?
The airwaves are full of predictions that scores of Democrats will lose their Congressional elections this November after arrogantly ignoring the will of the people with this imposition of Socialized Medicine. Possibly even that Republicans will get majorities in one or both houses after the votes are counted. It happened in 1993/1994, when Democrats tried to impose a similar Socialized Medicine program on the country, and failed. The House and Senate were given Republican majorities in the next election, practically for the first time in 60 years.
And this time, the Democrats have actually SUCCEEDED in imposing socialism, flatly against the Constitution and the will of the people. So Republicans should be a shoe-in this time, shouldn't they?
Well, that's not as likely as it may sound.
Republicans had two advantages in the 1994 election, that they don't have now:
1.) A plan for practical policies they presented to the public, that made large numbers want to vote FOR them, and not just AGAINST Democrats. This plan was also one of the rare times when politicians made promises and actually kept every one of them.
2.) A pretty good legislative record of low taxes, reduced government, low spending, and protecting the rights of the people. The spending binges of the 1980s were caused by House majority Democrats who reneged on their promises to then-President Reagan to balance the budget, and racked up huge debts despite rising government revenues, under threat of killing Reagan's military restoration.
Republicans don't have either of these advantages today. The lack of a good legislative record, is a cross mostly of their own making, as they themselves went on huge spending binges in the 2000's as they tried to out-Democrat the Democrats - the very acts that got the Republicans kicked out in 2006 and 2008. Republicans will have to bear this cross inn the 2010 elections - they can't turn the clock back.
And they don't have any coherent plan they can present to the American people, as good reasons to vote for them. "We aren't as bad as Democrats!" is going to ring a little hollow - people heard that throughout the 2000's, and we saw the result in 2006 and 2008.
The "Contract with America" - a list of bills the majority Democrats had kept bottled up in committees in Congress after Congress, never letting them onto the floor for a vote, that Republicans promised WOULD be voted on if people elected them - wasn't introduced until nearly the middle of 1994. This turned out to be a propitious time, as the idea took hold, gained momentum, and peaked in time to sweep Republicans into majorities in both Houses.
It's not quite the middle of 2010 now. But Republicans had better be working on some kind of unifying plan NOW, if they want to present it with the organization needed to push it through by May or June. And "We will repeal the Socialized Medicine plan" is a dangerous one. It will give the leftists a chance to scream, "See? See? Republicans are trying to take away your Health Care!!!", consonant with their long-cherished conviction that if Government doesn't provide something, nobody will provide it.
A proposal like, "We will improve your Health Care by cutting down on insane lawsuit awards, removing the draconian fines and govt forcing you into plans you don't want, and allowing competition across state lines, etc." might gain more traction... and, for the first time, offer people a plan they actually want.
Are Republicans a shoe-in for Congressional majorities after the Democrat imposition of mandatory Socialized Medicine?
NO.
Not unless they get their shit together in one hell of a hurry, and do it right.
Which I've seen no signs of their doing so far.
So, what do we do to prevent this from happening in the future?
The airwaves are full of predictions that scores of Democrats will lose their Congressional elections this November after arrogantly ignoring the will of the people with this imposition of Socialized Medicine. Possibly even that Republicans will get majorities in one or both houses after the votes are counted. It happened in 1993/1994, when Democrats tried to impose a similar Socialized Medicine program on the country, and failed. The House and Senate were given Republican majorities in the next election, practically for the first time in 60 years.
And this time, the Democrats have actually SUCCEEDED in imposing socialism, flatly against the Constitution and the will of the people. So Republicans should be a shoe-in this time, shouldn't they?
Well, that's not as likely as it may sound.
Republicans had two advantages in the 1994 election, that they don't have now:
1.) A plan for practical policies they presented to the public, that made large numbers want to vote FOR them, and not just AGAINST Democrats. This plan was also one of the rare times when politicians made promises and actually kept every one of them.
2.) A pretty good legislative record of low taxes, reduced government, low spending, and protecting the rights of the people. The spending binges of the 1980s were caused by House majority Democrats who reneged on their promises to then-President Reagan to balance the budget, and racked up huge debts despite rising government revenues, under threat of killing Reagan's military restoration.
Republicans don't have either of these advantages today. The lack of a good legislative record, is a cross mostly of their own making, as they themselves went on huge spending binges in the 2000's as they tried to out-Democrat the Democrats - the very acts that got the Republicans kicked out in 2006 and 2008. Republicans will have to bear this cross inn the 2010 elections - they can't turn the clock back.
And they don't have any coherent plan they can present to the American people, as good reasons to vote for them. "We aren't as bad as Democrats!" is going to ring a little hollow - people heard that throughout the 2000's, and we saw the result in 2006 and 2008.
The "Contract with America" - a list of bills the majority Democrats had kept bottled up in committees in Congress after Congress, never letting them onto the floor for a vote, that Republicans promised WOULD be voted on if people elected them - wasn't introduced until nearly the middle of 1994. This turned out to be a propitious time, as the idea took hold, gained momentum, and peaked in time to sweep Republicans into majorities in both Houses.
It's not quite the middle of 2010 now. But Republicans had better be working on some kind of unifying plan NOW, if they want to present it with the organization needed to push it through by May or June. And "We will repeal the Socialized Medicine plan" is a dangerous one. It will give the leftists a chance to scream, "See? See? Republicans are trying to take away your Health Care!!!", consonant with their long-cherished conviction that if Government doesn't provide something, nobody will provide it.
A proposal like, "We will improve your Health Care by cutting down on insane lawsuit awards, removing the draconian fines and govt forcing you into plans you don't want, and allowing competition across state lines, etc." might gain more traction... and, for the first time, offer people a plan they actually want.
Are Republicans a shoe-in for Congressional majorities after the Democrat imposition of mandatory Socialized Medicine?
NO.
Not unless they get their shit together in one hell of a hurry, and do it right.
Which I've seen no signs of their doing so far.