Monday, July 2, 2012

Some Final Thoughts On Obamacare

I’m taking the week off until next Monday. But before I go, here are my final thoughts on the ObamaCare ruling. Basically, while this is a legal disaster for the country, I think politically this is a very good thing. Also, by way of a bonus, at the end of this article, I’ve included some links to the CommentaramaCare proposal which outlines the reform we really need.

The Supreme Court Fails: Legally speaking, the ObamaCare decision is horrible. Some conservatives have latched onto the fact Roberts made a lot of great points about how the Commerce Clause and the Necessary and Proper Clause don’t extend nearly as far as the statist would have you believe. Sure, that’s nice. BUT then he turns right around and opens an unlimited window for Congress to use its tax powers to do anything! There may eventually be limits on this power, but as it stands right now, this is one of the five or six biggest power grabs in Constitutional history.

It is also troubling that this decision is based on verbal semantics: punishing someone for non-compliance is not the same thing as forcing someone to comply. Really?! That’s nonsense! That’s a distinction without a difference -- a verbal game -- and it’s disturbing that the Supreme Court would accept this double-speak as reasoning. This will lead to a whole new world of control once Congress realizes it can just “tax” you into compliance without ever triggering the limits on its power to “punish.” That’s troubling.

The Conservative Opportunity: Politically, however, this is a very different story. Politically, I think this decision is a Godsend for two reasons.

First, this decision will destroy the Democrats, and not just Obama. Human nature tells us that people forgive and forget misbehavior if it stops before the negative consequences kick in. So long as people assumed the Supreme Court would rein in ObamaCare, the public was very likely to forgive the Democrats and consider this a non-issues. Now that assumption is gone, and this decision revives the possibility of negative consequences. That will wake up the public and end its forgiving mood. Indeed, I would suspect this will endanger another 3-5 Democratic Senators in flyover country and could ultimately give us another 2-3 seats. And while I don’t think that will give us enough seats in the Senate to overcome a filibuster, it will be the difference between a majority (52-53 seats) and a solid majority (54-57 seats), which should be all we need under the new scorched-earth Senate.

Secondly, I think this ruling saved us from a disaster. If the Supreme Court had struck down the mandate, but left the rest, I have no doubt the Republicans would have declared victory and just moved on. That would have left a plethora of horrible things ensconced in law, including trillions in taxes, dirty deals with drug companies, anti-competitive requirements on hospitals and doctors, new entitlements, the unfunded expansion of Medicare, the creation of these insurance exchanges, etc. In effect, the least damaging part of the law would have been struck down and the other 99% of the harm would have remained. Now the Republicans will need to address the bill itself, and the pressure will be to repeal and replace the whole thing. That means they will actually need to fix much of this. That is the real reason this decision may ultimately prove to be a saving moment for the Republic, because it means the Republicans can’t ignore the real problems.

Repealing Stupidity: Repealing ObamaCare should be simple. Passing it by reconciliation means that by definition it can be repealed by reconciliation. And reconciliation only needs 51 votes. Naturally, the Democrats (and some weak Republicans) are whining that somehow the bill can’t be repealed by reconciliation, but that’s nonsense.

Building A New Crisis: There is an economic crisis built into ObamaCare and it will be interesting to see what happens. The law expands Medicaid to the point that it will shatter state budgets. But states don’t need to sign up for this. Indeed, the Supreme Court ruled that the states can refuse to expand Medicaid as the bill requires, and the Federal government cannot withdraw Medicaid funding if the state so chooses -- it can only withhold the additional funds intended to cover that expansion.

But just because states don’t need to sign up, doesn’t mean they are smart enough to refuse. A few Republican governors have said they won’t sign up, but most see this more as an opportunity to negotiate a lot of freedom from the requirements of Medicaid. It will be interesting to see what they obtain. The problem, however, lies with the Democratic states. . . as always. These idiots are rushing to sign up as a show of support. This will result in a dramatic increase of their Medicaid costs, which will bust their budgets. At first, the federal government funds this expansion, but within a couple years, that subsidy vanishes. That’s when states like California and New York will find themselves in budget hell (as if they weren’t already). Without federal money, I don’t see this as sustainable, but how will they cut off so many people once they sign them up? Watch out if you live in a liberal state which accepts this expansion!

Death to the Middle Class: Conservative economist and Senior Economics Writer for the Wall Street Journal, Stephen Moore, just made an interesting statement. He claims that 75% of the cost of ObamaCare will fall on the middle class -- people making less than $125,000 per year. That’s not at all surprising because that’s who always pays for these programs. Still, this is unwelcome news for a middle class which has been hit with falling incomes, falling asset values, falling home prices, massive inflation, an ever-higher tax burden, and fewer job prospects. At some point, this rubber band will break.

Conclusion

To sum up my thoughts, this bill is a disaster. It will crush the stupid states, it will crush the middle class. It will damage our healthcare system a lot. The Supreme Court’s ruling has damaged our Constitution. BUT this will wake up the public and will help to finish off the Democrats. It will also force the Republicans to act. In the end, this decision may prove to be the moment which spurred the Republicans to actually fix the healthcare crisis, and thereby save the country. Let’s hope.


Finally, by popular demand, here are some links for you to consider:
First, here’s what’s wrong with our healthcare system: Out of Control Costs, Out-of-Control Costs II, Access, and Quality Control Problems.

Secondly, we have a report card on why ObamaCare fails to address these problems: FailureCare.

Lastly, we have CommentaramaCare, a proposal on how the system should be fixed: Com-Care Tort Reform, Com-Care Medical Reforms, Com-Care Coverage Reform, and Com-Care Summarized and Priced.
Have a happy and free Fourth everyone!

84 comments:

Unknown said...

Andrew: With you on all counts. Roberts' decision does exactly the opposite from what a broad-brush Supreme Court decision is supposed to do--set a clear principle that is easily understood and followed. A well-written and legally sound decision should reduce litigation. Instead, this decision guarantees lawsuit after lawsuit and encourages the government to find more creative ways to sidestep the Constitution.

On the other hand, if you and I are reading the tea leaves correctly, Obama will get a small bump provided by those who are dumb enough to think that a Supreme Court decision has somehow made Obamacare an economically viable act. The realization will set in quickly as the middle income people discover just how bad this "tax" really is. It is indeed ultimately a boon for conservatives and a gift to the Republican Party if it deals with it properly.

The Democrats, led by sleazy Harry Reid, will try to pull portions out of Obamacare as "budget items" to derail the concept of reconciliation. He'll get away with it for a short time, but rather quickly that parliamentary trick will fail.

I saw Stephen Moore's WSJ article, and it's exactly the news analysis that the Republicans need to hammer on. "You like what the Democrats want to do to the super-rich? Wait until you see what they've done to you!"

HAPPY FOURTH TO YOU, Andrew. While you take your much-earned mini-vacation, I'll hang around to post and keep the home fires lit (was that a bad choice of words right now, considering where you live?).

Individualist said...

Andrew

I think that we have to understand that repealing a law like this is much harder to do that getting it passed to begin with.

While we may have the majorities in place and maybe we can get Romney reelected we still will find the actual process difficult.

The first problem will be the cries of the MSM. There will be the usual caterwauling and their will be attacks on individual congressmen who champion the repeal.

The call will be "what do we replace this with" and in states that rush to implement the exchange will be the call "how are we going to handle this without the money"...

This will be aimed not at the majority Tea Party in the house or even the solid conservative Republicans that follow the will of the party. It will be aimed at RINO's. GOP condidates like Scott Brown who have to answer to the hopelessly liberal electorate of Massachutsetts and other Senators like McCain that somehow seem to find a reason that the conservative position is to extreme and seek a compromise that amounts to let the progs have half of what they want anyway and hegotiate away the other half.

These will be the votes that will lose the repeal or worse yet eliminate some of the more controlling aspects, replacing them with things that seem less terrible that essentially will allow the progs to whittle away at the "reforms" in the future to get what they want anyway.

I don't see this law being overturned in congress. I know there is the will to do it. I know it should be done. But it will be in place once we start the process and the dems only need delay to ensure it becomes a third rail. The net result is that the middle class will be poorer.

I wish I were not so pessimistic but our track record in getting rid of bad entiltement programs and sending the power back to the private sector has been very poor.

Individualist said...

PS

The irony is that there is a good chance the Obamacare may result in my not being able to afford health insurance. My employer has a very cheap policy that relies on HSA's that the government will most certainly deem to not cover enough. I can fully see management in a position to let the insurance drop and pay the fine because it is cheaper.

That leaves me in a situation to have to purchase it but right now I probably wont be able to. I will have to pay the 900 fine and go without.

Individualist said...

What about the storying of medical data by the government. There has not been a lot of complaint regarding this but it is dangerous to me.

Putting aside the fact that the death panels could use this information to ration health care, a very real concern. What about the privacy of the information to begin with.

Given that we can't seem to keep secret the doctor that helped us locate Bin Laden due to the political manipulation of White House Politics. How are we going to ensure that medical records won't be abused.

USS Ben USN (Ret) said...

Well said, Andrew!
I sincerely hope that all conservatives/libertarians/independents, etc., demand this monstrosity be utterly repealed by reconciliation.

Screw the democrats. They are the ones that broke the super-majority rule and it's time to give them a taste of their own medicine.

Oh, they'll bitch and moan about it (they are already starting) but frankly, my dear democrats, we don't give a damn.
Remember, you lefties drew first blood and we're gonna go full on Chuck Norris on you guys (thought I was gonna say Rambo huh?).
No more mr. nice guy, Senators!

Senators like Jim DeMint don't need to be encouraged to overturn this leviathon, but some Senators do.
Let's hope we all keep their offices flooded with our letters, e-mails and phone calls.

We do not want Obamascaretax lite. Kill it! If you must do something then read Commenterama's recommendations.
In fact, we can send those links to our Senators and Representatives.
Who knows, they might actually read them and do something reasonable for a change.

I concur this will be a major blow to the Democrats IF every conservative and at least most Republican politicians keep mentioning how the govt. will force them to buy insurance that most will not want, destroy competition which helps keep costs down, send healthcare costs skyrocketting, close religious hospitals and cause many doctors and nurses to leave because they won't go against their religious beliefs or sacrifice their love of life be it abortions or euthanasia (it's coming, on a federal scale if this idiotic law stays in place), bankrupt medicare faster than normal, bankrupt states, hell, it will bankrupt our entire country, eventually, and it will cause businesses to drop their health insurance plans which are no doubt better than this pos legislation, and much more.

Money will become scarcer and so will the healthcare. It will be rationed more and more. Innovation will be crushed, and it will set back the standard of healthcare by decades at least.
Waiting times will get rediculously long, as resources become scarce. People hate long waits so that's a good point to bring up, IMO.

There's not one thing positive about this obey or pay intrusion on our liberties.
Only negatives. Really bad consequences. Mass chaos, dogs and cats living together.

Sorry for the long post, but we simply must counter all the lies the democrats are parroting about how good this is.

I find that more folks tend to listen when I talk about how thw govt. is gonna force us to do this...and more. The democrats can't really spin that whether they call it a tax or a penalty everyone will be forced to pay (except illegal immigrants and homeless people and that's still a relatively very small portion of our population).

As one twitterer put it (forgot the name but Iowahawk and others retweeted it):
"why are those who can't afford health insurance so excited about the govt. forcing them to buy health insurance?"

We can win this thing but the MSM and the left (but I repeat myself) won't give up easily. Better stop before I run outta ink.

USS Ben USN (Ret) said...

Oh, and HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY guys n' gals!
Let freedom ring and have some fun!
I know we will. And let's include a prayer or good thoughts for our troops.

They got our backs...let's cover theirs.

Tennessee Jed said...

I agree with you and Dick Morris that we have a strong potential to win the political battle. However, for many swing voters, politics is now the art of the soundbite. This means that we must be relentless in countering every lie the left uses to try and "re-sell" their lies. We still face being heavily outnumbered in terms of "news" outlets willing to objectively analyze rather than spin partisan. Thus, target advertising, Solid speeches by Romney, Boehner, Rubio, etc. must continue. That makes it more difficult for sources that somewhat value their illusion of fairness (CBS, ABC WAPO) to ignore the speeches.

People are still generally against this bill and do't take kindly to having been lied to, and passing it through back room deals, waivers, and parliamentary tricks.

Lastly, we must educate ourselves as much as possible to become citizen advocates. You have heard me and plenty of others decry this bill as a trojan horse for universal, single payer, British style health care. Forgetting the obvious ability of the federal government to cook the books, we know they operate on an old pre 80's style corporate model of bureaucrats protecting their budgets and fiefdoms. Wasteful and inefficient. However, the real proof of the intent is, and the scariest part of Obamacare is something called IPAB. Learn about it and it while scare the living shit out of you. It is the mechanism that robs congress of it's powers and turns total control of our future over to unelected political bureaucrats. I could try to describe it myself, but remembered a great article from a year ago by Stanley Kurtz. You owe it to yourself to read this article:

http://www.nationalreview.com/nrd/article/?q=M2U0NWI5Y2IzZWEyNjgyYzExN2M0MjgzZWViYmRjMDQ=

StanH said...

The tax code rears it’s ugly head again. Abolish the tax code and replace with a consumption tax, or a Fair Tax.

A great opportunity for real conservatives, we’ll see. I believe in the deep dark hollows of Washington they all want the same thing, example: Drug Benefit for Seniors. Has anybody seen any rollback on Medicaid or Medicare? All of The Great Society BS. I believe a decade elections to see real change back to a constitutional republic.

Medicare and Medicaid are doomed if real reform is not done and soon, it will collapse. That’ll take care of Barrycare as well.

The Middle Class always gets the shaft.

AndrewPrice said...

Lawhawk, I don't think they'll be able to stop any of it from being taking out through reconciliation. The way they passed it proved that the idea that some things can't be done through reconciliation is a procedural lie. The should be able to rip this thing out entirely.

Yep, vacation. Much needed! :) Good luck holding down the shop!

AndrewPrice said...

Indi, I agree that this will be a question of will power and the MSM will just pound home the idea that repealing this will be the end of the world. BUT keep these facts in mind:

1. The public has supported repeal at around 56% since the thing passed. That's been a stable number and it's an incredible number because people normally just accept things once they pass.

2. The Republicans are specifically running on a promise to repeal it.

3. They know the Tea Party people will turn on them and destroy them (look at all the primary challenges) if they don't repeal it.

4. Because the issue has come back alive, we are likely to end up with 55 Senators instead of 52. That means they need to find 5 RINOs. They can't. They'll find 3.

5. McConnell is the key here and he has shown a strong desire to undo this monster of a law.

6. Romney will do things like grant waivers right away. Ryan in the House will defund all of it even if it isn't repealed. So not repealing it becomes the bigger the risk because it will produce no benefits.

AndrewPrice said...

Indi, That is ironic, but only if you believed the promises made by Obama. The truth is, this was never intended to make sure everyone had healthcare. This bill was intended to (1) turn the healthcare system into a government-run oligopoly, (2) to hook another 25 million people on government, and (3) to take the responsibility for healthcare away from employers in exchange for an employment tax of around $1,000 per person.

That's it.

And everyone else was just going to have to deal with the reality that their healthcare costs were going to explode.

I'll tell you, there are a lot of liberals out there right now who will be shocked when they discover that they aren't getting anything out this except the choice of go buy health insurance or be fined.

T-Rav said...

I've seen a lot of articles from people in Washington, saying that the rank-and-file GOP congressmen are really infuriated by this ruling; they were even angrier about it a day or two after the ruling than when it was first announced. I don't know how much Republicans would have backed off in the event of a favorable ruling, but it's clearly worked the grassroots up to a fever pitch, as it should.

That said, I can't find any comfort in the people who are saying Roberts somehow did conservatives a favor by exercising restraint while leaving them with plenty of ammo against Obama. First off, I don't believe that; secondly, it's not worth the dangerous precedent this sets; and finally, are they not disturbed by their own implications? That Roberts made an inherently political decision? If that's the case, the Court really has lost all dignity and meaning.

AndrewPrice said...

Indi, We live in the information society. There is so much about us out there already and so many people have it that most people have simply accepted the idea that they no longer have any privacy.

I personally would like to see the breaks put on that. And I think healthcare would be a great place to start. If you get some minor form of VD as a kid or you tell you doctor you feel depressed, that should not be something which follows you around for the rest of your life and becomes known to all of your insurers, your employers, to the police, to the tax collector, or anyone else. America has always been about fresh starts, i.e. letting people move on from their mistakes. This threatens to make us slaves to our pasts.

AndrewPrice said...

T-Rav, I think this decision will ultimate help save America precisely because it has made this a hot button issue again at a critical time. That's good. This will force the Republicans to act.

BUT, that said, there is nothing good to be said for Roberts here. And the people who are trying to find some conservative tea leaves in this ruling are deluding themselves -- and many of them are the usual Big Government conservative types in any event. Make no mistake, this created a vast new power, and unless Roberts really reins that in right away, this means that Congress can do virtually anything, e.g. make you buy a gun, buy a GM car, join a union, "give" time doing charity work, etc. That's how wide open this power is right now.

AndrewPrice said...

Ben, "my dear democrats, we don't give a damn." Exactly!

There is no reason I can see why they can't use reconciliation to undo this monster. And since the public demands it, and the Republican party has made it the cornerstone of their platform, to fail at that would be to invite disaster for the country and the party.

On calling it Obamatax-lite, that's the problem -- it's not lite. I was always concerned when people reduced this issue to the mandate. The mandate is the least troubling part of this bill! That's why I'm actually kind of happy about this decision because I KNOW the Republicans would have happily said "the mandate has been struck down" and then moved on. Now they can't.

Agree with everything you've said about the consequences and the things we need to pound home. The Democrats have been trying to remake America by force, and we need to point that out. And the effects will be the destruction of economic and scientific progress.

AndrewPrice said...

Ben, As one twitterer put it (forgot the name but Iowahawk and others retweeted it):
"why are those who can't afford health insurance so excited about the govt. forcing them to buy health insurance?"


This is pretty funny actually. These people believe that they will get healthcare free, but they won't. All they are going to get is a choice between being fined or buying healthcare. Only a small number of people will actually get healthcare out this through the expansion of Medicaid, and they aren't exactly getting "healthcare" so much as some generic care if they can find a doctor to treat them. Everybody else gets hurt.... except big business who gets to dump their plans.

AndrewPrice said...

P.S. Ben, Happy Fourth to you too!! Think about freedom!

AndrewPrice said...

Jed, I'm glad you and Dick Morris agree! :)

And I agree that we ALL need to push this thing until it is dead. We are outnumbered in the MSM and so we need to fight harder. Fortunately, I think there is a certain amount of inevitability at this point because the sides have firmed up and the public has stopped listening to Obama. Thus, I think we will win and it will be repealed because the Republicans know this is something they must do... it's not a choice anymore (and I think this decision makes that need stronger).

In terms of fighting back with the lies, I agree, but it's even more important to have a unified, effective message which will resonate with the public. Thus, we can't get too theoretical are crawl into the weeds. I've seen people predict doomsday or talk about the need to remake the constitution, but those are loser ideas. Those ideas only get the public to tune out. We need to hit these ideas:

1. This is a trillion dollar tax on the middle class.

2. You won't get healthcare out of this, you will get a choice to go buy your own healthcare or get fined.

3. Your employer gets to drop your plan in exchange for a small employment tax.

4. This bill turns our healthcare system into a government-run oligopoly which will be run by bureaucrats for the profit of a handful of large crony insurance and drug companies.

5. Healthcare will be rationed. You will not get the treatment you need. Costs will soar. Only the rich and connected will get real care.

6. State taxes will soar because states can't afford to pay for this.

7. Doctors will flee the profession.

There may be more, but those are off the top of my head.

tryanmax said...

Happy Independence Day, All!

Indie, the caterwauling and attacking have already begun. All the Democrats on the Sunday shows, all of them, were on the same page about the tax not being a tax, but a penalty on the 1%. (???) And the Norah O'Donnell interview with John Boehner was disgusting for how she attempted to vilify him. Props to Boehner for keeping his cool. I couldn't have done it.

AndrewPrice said...

Stan, I think that's true actually. I think both sides in Washington WANT these entitlements and want them to keep expanding. It makes the world easier on them and on their donors. I think very few of them truly want to see our government brought back under control.

I would love to see the income tax brought to a 10% sales tax with all deductions and attempts at social engineering ripped out of the code. But that's not happening. So at this point, I would just settle to see as much of the cronyism as possible ripped out in exchange for lower income tax rates.

And you're right, the Middle Class has been taking the shaft for as long as I can remember. That's who these things always fall upon because that's where the money is.

AndrewPrice said...

Jed, P.S. Here's your link: LINK

DUQ said...

Andrew, :)

I was just about to write that you should come up with talking points! And then I saw your comment to Jed.

Now that is service!

AndrewPrice said...

tryanmax, It's going to be a full court press of lies between now and the election. But the problem the Democrats and the MSM allies have is that people know better, and they've already tried to sell these lies during the debate itself and they didn't work.

Not to mention, in 2010, the public was still positive about Obama himself. Now you need to add the intense negativity to the equation. I think this is a hopeless fight for the Democrats.

Plus, keep in mind, moderate Democrats are freaking out and won't defend the bill this time. They know that means career death.

tryanmax said...

On Sunday, I also saw the Republicans much more on message than I am used to. Every host launched into their guests with a barrage of "Which programs will you cut? Which programs will you cut?" To which they all boldly replied, "We're going to repeal the whole thing and come back with common sense reforms." I was amazed.

AndrewPrice said...

DUQ, Ask and yea shall receive! Anything you think we should add to the list?

AndrewPrice said...

tryanmax, I've noticed that too. They really are on message for the first time in forever. That is very encouraging, and that's why I have little doubt they will actually follow through now.

Whether they come up with a decent reform (like CommentaramaCare), that I doubt. But they will definitely repeal this sucker and replace it with something.

DUQ said...

Maybe we can throw that open to the room? I think the things you've listed are solid points. I like the death panel point and I like the point that the government will be making healthcare decisions for you.

DUQ said...

When I say "I like," I mean I like making those points, not that I like the idea itself. The idea itself sucks.

AndrewPrice said...

As an aside, it is worth mentioning that Anderson Cooper just announced he is gay. And nobody really cared because we already knew that.

AndrewPrice said...

DUQ, Let's see what everyone thinks.

And I did understand you, don't worry, I didn't assumed you actually liked the government making decisions for you! :)

tryanmax said...

Rush apparently feels that the Jan Crawford story from yesterday about why Roberts changed his mind has credence. LINK

AndrewPrice said...

So he did it to uphold the reputation of the court with the liberal MSM? Nice.

ScyFyterry said...

Andrew, I agree with your analysis, but we won't know for sure until the election.

I also think the Republicans must know they will be destroyed if they don't repeal this monster.

T-Rav said...

I could believe that. Someone familiar with the Court, I don't remember who, was saying that Roberts had a tendency to read newspapers (and by newspapers I mean Beltway/East and West Coast newspapers) more often than his colleagues. Perhaps he became convinced of what the pundits there were saying: If the five more conservative justices voted together, it would show that the Court was politicized beyond repair, but if he let the four liberals have their way, it would be a sign of....jurisprudence. Or something.

I also read that it was Kennedy, of all people, who was pushing Roberts the hardest to join the conservative opinion on this, but the CJ wouldn't budge. I still can't wrap my mind around how these votes fell.

AndrewPrice said...

Thanks Terry! True, we won't know until after the election, but I think this will cost them seats in Red-state country. Obviously, places like California won't change, but this will make it all the harder in Missouri, South Dakota, Wisconsin and places like that.

USS Ben USN (Ret) said...

"On calling it Obamatax-lite, that's the problem -- it's not lite."

Hi Andrew!
Actually, I meant there would be a bloodbath if republicans replace Obamatax with Obamatax lite, which is not filling and tastes horrible.

Hence, we don't want an obamatax lite so kill this beast (kill it, I say!) and instead of replacing it come up with common sense reforms like you suggested in your links.

AndrewPrice said...

T-Rav, I think Roberts is an insider. I really do. I think he is the kind of guy who views the government as the thing which defines America, that he believes corporate America represents our economic engine, and that the Washington Post and the New York Times are largely-unbiased authorities on the voice of America and representative of the people who matter.

I do not see him as having the mindset of a true jurist, nor do I think he's actually conservatives -- I think he's apolitical with a strong faith in "the system."

So it doesn't surprise me that he would be more worried about how "the system" would react to the ruling than he would be about it being correct.

AndrewPrice said...

Ben, I agree. Sorry if I went off on tangent. I just meant that so many people have focused so much on the mandate that people seem to think that was the only problem, when the reality is that's just the tip of this iceberg!

USS Ben USN (Ret) said...

Well, I need to be more concise after rereading my comment, LOL.

I concure. The mandate is merely one out of many very hostile takeovers of our liberties in this anti-Constitutional monstrosity.

AndrewPrice said...

Ben, It was a long comment! LOL!

In any event, I think we agree on all points. :)

Tennessee Jed said...

Andrew, l.o.l.; I actually meant earlier that you and Morris are both more positive about this decision destroying the Democrats than I am. I'm cautiously optimistic this will happen, but the football has been jerked away too many times.

AndrewPrice said...

Jed, Isn't that the truth. You will never go broke underestimating the American public and you would get positively stinking rich if you could bet against the Republican party.

But I think this one will matter because it will excite people who are opposed to Obama. I think this will wake up 3-5% of the population on the right who might have skipped this election and that will be key in some races.

ellenB said...

Excellent analysis as always Andrew. I am pessimistic, like Jed. I've seen it too often where things have gone wrong. But I am hopeful. We need to put an end to this Obama Crisis!

AndrewPrice said...

Thanks Ellen! I'm glad you like it. I've seen the same things you and Jed have, but this time I sense something very different. As tryanmax pointed out, the Republicans are incredibly unified and on point, and there seems to be no doubt (even from the RINOs) that they will repeal this. Replacing will be harder, but repealing won't be a problem.

Anthony said...

Obamacare being repealed is a foregone conclusion. More people oppose it than support it and the opponents feel a lot more strongly about the issue than the supporters.

I think what will be interesting is what happens afterwards. I suspect the answer is 'nothing'.

People are fired up about the expense of Obamacare, but they (and most importantly, the elderly, who tend to vote religiously) are very content with the current system.

Granted the current system is unsustainable but that's besides the point.

AndrewPrice said...

Anthony, I agree entirely. I am entirely confident that ObamaCare will be repealed.

But the question is what comes next?

I suspect the Republicans will keep in place a couple of the insurance mandates and will try to expand the tax deduction for people to get healthcare. They will also probably try to block grant Medicaid money to the states so the states can work on reforming the system.

Beyond that, I think they will do nothing.

And you are right, the current system is unsustainable.

ellenB said...

I agree with Anthony that nothing will probably happen after repeal. I don't think anyone wants to touch these issues even if it means we're just making the problem worse.

Doc Whoa said...

I'm done talking about ObamaCare. Repeal it and let's move on. This shouldn't be that difficult.

Doc Whoa said...

Also, happy vacation Andrew! :)

AndrewPrice said...

Ellen, I'm not too confident they will do the right things about fixing the system. But if they real some of the anti-competitive stuff, that would be a step in the right direction at least.

Our healthcare system desperately needs to be freed from government control.

AndrewPrice said...

Doc, I can't blame you. I'm done with it myself. Hence, these are my final thoughts on the issue unless something big come up.

Thanks on the vacation wishes! :)

USS Ben USN (Ret) said...

Incidently, as a bit of a palette cleanser from Roberts betrayal, I present this musical masterpiece that includes Steve Martin, since we were talking about him the other day:

Earl Scruggs And Steve Martin

Hope you all enjoy!

AndrewPrice said...

Good call Ben! I like that piece. And I had no idea Steve Martin could play! LOL!

Doc Whoa said...

Cool link Ben! I didn't know Martin could play either!

USS Ben USN (Ret) said...

I was impressed and I knew he could play!
Earl Scruggs is easily one of the very best banjo players in history, and for Martin to keep up speaks highly of his talent.

The other guys ain't too shabby either. You might have recognized some of them if you listen to bluegrass much or country/country rock.

AndrewPrice said...

Ben, I don't really listen to blue grass, though I have a couple pieces. I do listen to country along with almost every other genre, but haven't paid attention to it for some time.

I believe that's Vince Gill on the left and the guy with the hair further left is really familiar but I can't think of his name.

Ed said...

This is a great week for a vacation Andrew! And I see that Bev has already preceded you.

Ed said...

For the first time, I actually have faith that the Republicans will keep their promise and repeal this law. I'm not sure why exactly, but this time I believe them.

AndrewPrice said...

Ed, Take a break. Eat some steak, blow some things up. Relax! :)

Ed said...

Also, I see that the Donks did get the Wisconsin senate by one seat (800 votes). And now everyone is admitting this means nothing since they won't meet again until after the election.

AndrewPrice said...

As for having faith, everyone seems to be treating it like an assumption of fact, so I have faith too. Even the usual suspects aren't hedging.

AndrewPrice said...

Ed, I saw the headline on Wisconsin and I had to laugh. Talk about a Pyrrhic victory. I can't wait until November to see them lose control again. I'll bet you this guy loses his seat too.

ellenB said...

It is still funny that they wasted all that time and effort and all they got out of it was control of a chamber that won't do anything until after the next election. That's like winning a condemned building as a prize.

T-Rav said...

Off topic, how's the fire situation in Colorado going? I heard they're getting it under control.

ellenB said...

Well, I'm outta here. Happy Fourth everyone!

AndrewPrice said...

Ellen, It is funny. Have a Happy Fourth yourself! :)

AndrewPrice said...

T-Rav, There's little danger to the city anymore. Almost everyone has been allowed to go home again (except for a couple neighborhoods), and the fire is 50% contained. It does seem to be moving further into the mountains though, but that's away from most people.

Right now there's very little evidence of it -- little smoke, no smell, no ash, and no fire-light at night.

USS Ben USN (Ret) said...

Andrew: I recognized Vince Gill to as well as Marty Stuart and Jerry Douglas. Paul Schaffer doesn't really count, lol.

I looked the others up and here they are:

L/R: Paul Shaffer on piano, Glen Duncan on fiddle, Marty Stuart on mandolin, Vince Gill on electric guitar, Randy Scruggs on acoustic guitar, Earl Scruggs on banjo, Steve Martin on banjo, the great Albert Lee on electric guitar, Gary Scruggs on harmonica, Jerry Douglas on the dobro. With Harry Stinson on drums and Will Lee on electric bass.

Have a great vacation Andrew! Stay upwind of the smoke. Just sayin'. Glad your house wasn't hit.

AndrewPrice said...

Marty Stewart!! %&&^$%^!! I KNEW that and I couldn't think of his name to save my life. I kept thinking "Skaggs" but I knew that wasn't right. Arg. My mind ain't what it used to be.

Yeah, Schaffer doesn't count.

Thanks Ben! You have a great Fourth as well.

AndrewPrice said...

FYI, Mitch McConnell says that he will use reconciliation against ObamaCare: LINK

T-Rav said...

Good to hear, Andrew. Things are so dry around here we've had some small fires spring up ourselves, and a bunch of places have canceled the fireworks shows :-( Nothing to compare with the CO Springs area, though. Stay smoke free out there! (Smoke from burning stuff, I mean, not cigarette smoke. Waft that around all you want, if it'll make the hippies mad.)

AndrewPrice said...

T-Rav, Things are definitely going better fire-wise around here. And it's well timed too. After the past week, where it's been really hot and dry, everyone's lawns are like straw. So there is a really high fire danger at the moment.

Jen said...

Great article, and comments!!! Happy Fourth everyone!

Talking points??? Where did I hear that before? The power of suggestion?

Things that make you go hmmmmm.

AndrewPrice said...

Thanks Jen! Happy Fourth to you too!

I have no idea where the idea of talking points came from? LOL!

Jen said...

I didn't think so. Are you pleading the fifth? LOL!!!

AndrewPrice said...

LOL! No, I admit it. You mentioned the idea of creating talking points first! :)

Jen said...

Thank you!!! LOL!

AndrewPrice said...

I'm a firm believer in honesty! :)

Jen said...

Ditto! :)

NightcrawlerER said...

Happy Fourth Andrew!

Notawonk said...

I wouldn't be surprised if the Repubs read this site and swipe your ideas. I mean the first time I read the words "repeal and replace" was here.

DO IT!

tryanmax said...

ObamaCare was passed to save the economy? Not so fast.

From Canada: Medical wait times hurting the economy, says new study

AndrewPrice said...

Patti, :)

Let's hope they listen!

AndrewPrice said...

tryanmax, I'm not surprised.

Don't forget that the more the government controls healthcare, the sicker people will be because of less care and longer waits, and the less innovation (and spending on innovation) there will be. This will absolutely hurt the economy. It will cost jobs, make people less productive, and slow the advancement of medicine, meaning people won't live as long or as healthily as they otherwise would have.

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