Promoting Conservative Reforms Can Help Turn the Tide in 2010
Perhaps the greatest difficulty for conservatives during the better part of the George W. Bush era was that we had a president who was nominally a conservative, but, save for Social Security, he showed little enthusiasm for genuine conservative reforms. Re-elected in 2004 with increased Republican majorities in both houses of Congress, Bush had a winning hand, but let the Democrats bluff him. And, well, it seems he didn’t much have the appetite for reform.
As health insurance premiums rose faster than inflation, Republicans were oblivious to popular cries to address health care. Even the party’s nominee in the 2008 election, while putting together a package embodying sensible conservative ideas for reform, didn’t promote his proposal in his campaign — and let his opponent misrepresent that plan. To the Democrat’s credit, he recognized reform as a winning issue, so made it a centerpiece of his campaign. (Of course, he obscured the cost of his proposal and did not stress the details which have now made his current plan so unpopular.)
It is to the great discredit of the GOP that when they had majorities in Congress, they did not move any of the major conservative ideas for health care reform. Had they done so, it would have shown a commitment both to reform and to free market principles. While promoting such a proposal may not have kept Congress in Republican hands, it would certainly show that the GOP was not devoid of new ideas.
Now, that we’re out of power, Republicans should redouble our efforts to show that ours is indeed a reform party.
Jennifer Rubin points to a one-page summary that Jeffrey Anderson has prepared, culling the best of the conservative ideas for health-care reform and putting them on a single page. It behooves Republican candidates and leaders to familiarize themselves with these proposals and promote them in public fora.
No matter what we do, some Democrats will continue to say that Republicans don’t care. But, with the American people paying closer attention to politics than they were a year ago and with new media, Democrats no longer control the debate as they once did. If Republicans regularly promote real reforms, then independent voters (as well as the party’s rank and file) will know that they’ve changed. And with disappointment in the Democrats continuing to mount, that may well give them a second chance come 2010.
9 Comments »
RSS feed for comments on this post. TrackBack URI
Stephen Colbert, Mr President The Taliban Just Isn’t That Into You.
http://youhavetobethistalltogoonthisride.blogspot.com/2009/10/stephen-colbert-mr-president-talibans.html
Comment by keyboard jockey — October 7, 2009 @ 12:14 pm - October 7, 2009
For liberal Democrats the following article may be educational and eye opening. For conservatives….it’s information we already knew and have experience with.
http://www.realclearmarkets.com/articles/2009/10/07/tax_the_rich_hows_that_working__97440.html#
Comment by Gene in Pennsylvania — October 7, 2009 @ 5:11 pm - October 7, 2009
It may not make any difference. From redstate:
I am told quite reliably that in a meeting today on Capitol Hill, Republican Senators began to rapidly move toward concessions on health care because they are afraid they cannot hold their members. Some Republicans are now thinking of supporting a government program.
If this is true, I’d like for one of these gomers to explain why any GOP cooperation is needed. And then to explain what exactly the GOP is needed for.
http://redstate.com/
Comment by SoCalRobert — October 7, 2009 @ 8:27 pm - October 7, 2009
LOL. The GOP’s ideas for health care reform are losers.
For instance, buying across state lines won’t do anything except see the insurance companies flock to those states with little consumer protection, leaving victims in their wake.
Tort reform won’t reduce costs and will create government panels deciding what a victim’s life is worth. Yeah, the anti-death panel gop thought that one out really well. ha.
Let’s face it, the GOP is the party of NO without anything constructive to add. The GOP has been a complete and utter failure in leading over the past 20 years. At least the author of this thread recognizes the horribly lost opportunity bushco had and frittered away. Pity, but not surprising. The GOP wants to keep those profits flowing to their big-money donors. Shameful.
Comment by buckeyenutlover — October 7, 2009 @ 8:29 pm - October 7, 2009
Well, OhioSnowballer, Texas has implemented the most sweeping Tort reform. The result is that malpractice premiums have fallen 30%. The benefit is that more doctors are moving to Texas. The drawback, I suppose, is that lawsuits have fallen by half and that means a little less work for Texas trial lawyers. But I’m sure they’ll go looking to drum up business in South America. Was Chairman Maobama lying when he said he favored Tort reform?
Further, Texas doesn’t have a state income tax and more Fortune 500 companies than any other state due to reasonable regulation. That’s why over a thousand people a day move to Texas along with many companies. Not to mention their 8% unemployment rate which is lower than the liberal run failed states of New York, Michigan, California etc.
Speaking of government panels deciding what a “victim’s” life is worth, we already have that with Medicare and RVUs thanks to liberals. And let’s not forget that ObamaCareless seeks to cut reimbursement to specialists and funnel that money to GPs. One, then, could say that the liberal plan is “Don’t get sick and if you do, you better hope to hell you don’t need a specialist.”
And then “guaranteed issue” and other liberal ideas have already been tried and FAILED resulting in higher costs and reduced access.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703298004574455560453947646.html
Why in the hell should we believe that the liberals will make it work on a national level?
Comment by ThatGayConservative — October 8, 2009 @ 2:08 am - October 8, 2009
The liberals want to keep money flowing to the unions which kick it back into their pockets as “campaign donations” while Americans suffer. Not to mention liberals oppose Tort reform because they want the trial bar to rake in as much cash as possible off the misery of Americans and then kick that money back to them in the way of “campaign donations”.
So all in all, liberals want Americans to suffer while their contributors make them richer.
THAT’S pretty damn shameful right there.
Comment by ThatGayConservative — October 8, 2009 @ 2:13 am - October 8, 2009
Funny thing is, insurance companies (including mine
) are pushing for the mandates and several things in the Baccus bill. So once again, bnl shows an allergy to the facts.
Wow, arguing against Tort Reform, not having any facts… are we sure bnl isn’t a trial lawyer?
*disclaimer: I work for an insurance company, I sure as hell don’t speak for them.
Comment by The_Livewire — October 8, 2009 @ 7:02 am - October 8, 2009
BNL is one of those people who pop in to incite anger. Every time I read one of his/her posts, it reeks. I imagine it helps him/her to get off reading the comments. Have at it BNL.
Comment by Steven E. Kalbach — October 8, 2009 @ 5:54 pm - October 8, 2009
One of those drive-by commenters who pop off a couple rounds of stupidity and then take off to DUmbass land to brag about how brilliant he is, I suppose.
Comment by ThatGayConservative — October 8, 2009 @ 11:09 pm - October 8, 2009