Don't Blame GOP for Obamacare's Demise

Written by E. D. Kain on Saturday January 30, 2010

Liberals may blame Republicans for obstructionism but there is a valid argument for the minority taking an oppositional stance when the legislation in question is something they fundamentally disagree with.

There was a satirical headline floating around after the Scott Brown victory which read: "Scott Brown Wins Mass. Race, Giving GOP 41-59 Majority in the Senate".  I think that sums up nicely the position the Democrats have put themselves in regarding healthcare reform.  Liberals may blame Republicans for obstructionism but there is a valid argument for the minority taking an oppositional stance when the legislation in question is something they fundamentally disagree with.

Flip the tables: Imagine there are 59 or so Republicans in the Senate and they're pushing for the privatization of Social Security - something Democrats fundamentally disagree with and want dead in its tracks.  Should Democrats work with Republicans on this reform or should they threaten to filibuster?  Would private retirement accounts be a palatable enough alternative to the current entitlement for Democrats to compromise, or would it better suit them and their constituency to simply obstruct?

Travel back a few years and you'll notice that the Bush tax cuts were passed via reconciliation, because Democrats, rightly or wrongly, were obstructing those cuts.  Now reconciliation may be the only way Democrats can push healthcare reform through the Senate.  Nor is there anything wrong with that.  Both sides do it, and both sides should do it, just like both sides should oppose legislation they fundamentally disagree with.  That's why we elect representatives - not just to do things, but also to oppose things that we disagree with.  They represent us, and if we oppose healthcare reform, so should they.  If we oppose going to war, so should they.  If we oppose privatizing Social Security, so should they.

Nevertheless, Republicans are wrong to think that they've worked miracles by stalling or possibly killing the Senate healthcare reform bill, or that those efforts will translate into tangible gains in 2010 or 2012.  Much of this is self-congratulatory spin-doctoring.  In a down economy it is almost inevitable that people will begin grumbling about the incumbents.  Whether that translates into significant gains for the opposition is another matter, and so far there is little reason to believe that Republicans have made serious gains in the public trust.  Disappointment with Democrats and disappointment with Republicans are not mutually exclusive sentiments.

Politically, the Republican party and the conservative movement remain immature and overly hysterical.  They have taken opposition beyond its necessary boundaries, devolving into rhetorical shenanigans and misrepresentations of their opponents.  While this may rouse the base and stir up populist ire, it does very little to restore faith in independent voters that Republicans actually have a plan or the capacity to govern.  It does nothing to bring about a return to good conservative ideas, no matter how much hot-air it expends on rather more generic 'conservative principles.'

In the end, both parties should avoid the perils of over-confidence and self-delusion. Republicans should quit preemptively patting themselves on the back, and Democrats should avoid relying too much on the blame game. If healthcare reform fails its failure will be laid at the feet of the Democrats and especially at the feet of the president, no matter how hard he tries to distance himself from that legislation.  Obama's State of the Union speech has shown that when it comes to healthcare reform he'd rather just drop the ball and blame the Republicans than take a position of leadership and pass the damn bill.  I can't imagine a universe in which this won't come back to haunt him later on, whether or not Republicans make an easy target.

P.S. - I personally don't like the fact that Republicans have taken such an oppositional role in the healthcare debate.  But that's because I'm pro-reform.  On issues that I am against (such as cap and trade) I heartily welcome staunch opposition.  I imagine many on the left and right are this way, calling foul on 'obstructionism' when it is against a policy that we like and similarly supporting the noble opposition against policies with which we disagree.

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