Program Note
Today is really just going to be an extended program note, just to warn everyone, which ends with a crass fundraising plea.
I've been busy reviewing 2014 in preparation for tomorrow's (and next Friday's) year-end awards columns, so you've got that to look forward to.
Oh, one minor note from this exercise to begin with. A little over a week ago, I wrote an article on the use of the term "Obamacare" by Republicans. At the time I wrote:
I have believed, for over six months now, that the true sign that Republicans have accepted the new health law (or at least reacted to the public's acceptance of it) would be that they'd stop using the "Obamacare" moniker for the program. The program will begin to be seen as a success, this line of thinking goes, precisely when Republicans decide to stop saying "Obamacare." Unfortunately, while I could have sworn I had written about this previously, when I searched my own site for it, I could not find an article to cite. So you'll just have to take it on faith, I suppose, that I've believed this for a while now.
Commenter Paula backed me up (thanks!), saying she too remembered this column. Well, I just found it! I wasn't even that far off with the "over six months now" claim, as it ran in July. Anyway, here is my (belated) cite, from "Republicans' Anti-Obamacare 2014 Strategy," which ends with:
The real irony will be if Republicans realize this before it's too late, and make a much larger pivot before the election. If they start actually addressing the issue and putting forth real solutions to fix whatever problems crop up (campaigning, perhaps, on: "We're going to fix it so it works"), then it will signal the ultimate defeat of the anti-Obamacare strategy. It'll actually be very easy to tell when this happens (if it does). It will be precisely the point that every single Republican candidate stops calling it "Obamacare." If you hear multiple Republicans -- within the same week -- use the phrase "Affordable Care Act" then you know that they're waving the white flag on the issue.
Because if this scenario does indeed play out, that's going to be the bitterest pill for Republicans to swallow. They were the ones, after all, who insisted upon calling it "Obamacare" in the first place. And if people like it, it will forevermore be to Obama's credit, due to this Republican branding effort. So if they actually stop using the term, it'll be because they know they've lost the battle for good.
Reading this article over now, even after the Obamacare website problems, is still interesting for the longer view it takes of Obamacare as a 2014 campaign issue. It also ironically begins with two factoids which I was too lazy to look up citations for, so make of that what you will.
With that out of the way, we have two other issues to raise. The first is that the awards columns are in production now, so this is your last chance to make nominations for the "part 1" awards (down to "Person of the Year" in the list of categories from last week). You can post your suggestions either as comments to this article, or to last week's "open nominations" article; either way, I will see them. But you've got to move fast, for the "part 1" picks (you'll have until next Thursday for "part 2" nominations).
And finally, while it pains us to admit this, the year-end CW.com holiday pledge drive doesn't seem to be going very well this year. We haven't had many donations, and are woefully behind our fundraising targets, so we must end with a plea to click over to the 2013 Holiday Fundraising Drive page, where the following kitten will urge you to remember this site in your holiday giving:
"Why oh why haven't you donated yet?"
-- Chris Weigant
Follow Chris on Twitter: @ChrisWeigant
If they start actually addressing the issue and putting forth real solutions to fix whatever problems crop up (campaigning, perhaps, on: "We're going to fix it so it works"), then it will signal the ultimate defeat of the anti-Obamacare strategy.
Not necessarily..
If the GOP actually FIX obamacare so that it does what it was INTENDED to do (ya know... Bring health insurance to more people AND make it.. ya know.. AFFORDABLE) than, logically, that gives the GOP the "win" and Democrats get a big fat "PPPPFFFFFFFFFFTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT"
The GOP doesn't have a problem with changes to the health care system..
The GOP simply are against anything that makes people pay 50 times more for insurance..
Like obamacare....
Michale
0229
And so it begins...
http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/first-crack-individual-mandate_771543.html
Michale
0230
The beginning of the end of obamacare...
Michale
0231
the beginning of the end, the end of the beginning, these days it's so hard to tell. in a few weeks' time, i think we'll see how it all shakes out.
JL
the beginning of the end, the end of the beginning, these days it's so hard to tell. in a few weeks' time, i think we'll see how it all shakes out.
That's what ya'all said a MONTH ago! :D
DO you realize how bad this is for the Insurance Companies??
Obama basically said that the mandate is delayed for a year..
NO ONE has to buy insurance and no one will be penalized if they don't buy insurance.
That pretty much seals obamacare's fate...
There simply is NO WAY that the Insurance Companies will take this one in the shorts...
Michale
0232
That's what ya'all said a MONTH ago! :D
no, i've been pretty consistent. the success or failure of obamacare should start to become evident in january when the exchanges are supposed to actually take effect, and the picture will become clearer over the course of 2014.
as for insurance companies taking it in the shorts? to a large extent it's their legislation to begin with, so i don't think at this point they have much of a choice.
JL
as for insurance companies taking it in the shorts? to a large extent it's their legislation to begin with, so i don't think at this point they have much of a choice.
I am constrained to point out that, with all the waivers that Obama has issued by fiat (and illegal to boot), this legislation is far FAR different from the legislation that the insurance companies signed on for..
Basically, the insurance companies were lied to as much as the American people were lied to..
Which begs the question.
Why do ya'all support legislation that had to have to be blatant lie upon blatant lie in order to pass??
Is an "Obama-win" sooooooo important that the entire Left would sell their souls and their integrity, not to mention the credibility, to achieve???
Will the price of an "Obama-Win" ever be TOO high for the Left???
Michale
0235
http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/obamacare-falling-apart-our-eyes_771566.html
If ANYONE can take issue with the facts and the logic, by all means, take the shot...
Michale
0242
Michale -
We'll see. Throughout 2014, we're going to see the proof of the concept: if GOP candidates run solely on "Obamacare sucks!" then that's one thing. But if they start suddenly not talking about it, that's another thing entirely. We probably won't really know the answer to this question until after the 2014 election returns, really....
-CW
We'll see. Throughout 2014, we're going to see the proof of the concept: if GOP candidates run solely on "Obamacare sucks!" then that's one thing. But if they start suddenly not talking about it, that's another thing entirely. We probably won't really know the answer to this question until after the 2014 election returns, really...
Here's the thing. The way obamacare is set up, there is ALWAYS going to be something coming out bad about obamacare..
Lack of Site Security
More Insurance Cancellations.
Hodge Podge of "laws" and rules that affect different groups of people differently..
Obama and the Democrats have made sure that obamacare will likely be in the news for the next year..
And most of the news won't be good, I can almost guarantee it...
Or, more accurately, if there IS good news, it will be overshadowed by the bad.
You heard it here first..
Michale
0244
But I completely agree with Joshua.
January will be the Make/Break month for obamacare.
It's in January that the rubber meets the road and it's in January when people will actually have to pay for their "affordable" health insurance..
So, January will likely indicate whether or not obamacare is a train wreck or not.
The GOOD news (for me at least :D) is that, if obamacare survives January, there will likely be monthly, weekly and even daily horror stories about obamacare.. Right up to October when the Small Business Insurance Plans will be cancelled en masse by the millions..
Best (for the GOP)..... October Surprise..... EVER... :D
Michale
0250
Michale,
It sounds an awful lot like you are rooting for Obamacare to fail.
Am I misreading your comments?