Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Support for health reform 'collapses' without public option

Passing health-care "reform" without a public option to put real downward pressure on prices is worse than doing nothing.
 
 

The most dramatic impact is a sharp decline in enthusiastic support. Without the public option, only nine percent (9%) Strongly support the legislation. The earlier poll found 26% Strongly in favor of it.

That enthusiasm gap is especially significant since the percentage of those opposed to the legislation has consistently been higher. Last week's poll found 44% Strongly opposed to the reform legislation. If the public option is dropped, 37% remain Strongly opposed.

 
If Democrats let the extremist right intimidate them from enacting real health-care reform, they will be doing more than missing an historic opportunity to improve the lives of all Americans.
 
This act of capitulation will signal the end of their political ascendancy in the post-Bush era.  It will be a surrender of epic proportions.  American voters don't like losers, and they have nothing but contempt for weakness, and rightly so.  Passing a so-called reform bill without a public option will be worse than doing nothing from the perspective of politics as well as policy.
 
If the Democrats cannot stand up for meaningful health reform, what will they stand up for?

0 comments: