Today the GOP pulled off one of the most brilliant political strategies of modern times virtually insuring them control of Congress and the White House come November. John Robert’s Supreme Court ruling to keep the individual health insurance mandate requiring all breathing US citizens to buy a private market product was a calculated ruling in support of the GOP. They recognized the lack of popularity of the mandate and Republicans need the repeal platform to run on. Otherwise they might be left with nothing but “Don’t Tax the Rich”. Flying like lead. Now they will work hard to insure voters that they will repeal the Affordable Health Care Act to win votes. And it will work. This is a hollow victory for the left and they are in full celebration mode. They haven’t stopped the party long enough to realize what just happened. Update: The “Repeal and Replace” campaign debuted on TV before I finished writing this.
I find it ironic that Mitt Romney, the inventor of health insurance mandates, in all likelihood will become President running on a platform to repeal the same mandate at the federal level. They only question that remains is his sincerity. Is it just an empty campaign promise? I believe the party will hold him to this one. Many, many Americans will swallow hard at the polls this year, cover their noses and mark the ballot. Yes, it stinks to think that a vote for corporatism, over-zealous bible beating, lower taxes for the wealthy, higher taxes for the middle class and a windfall for the banks and Wall St. is the right thing to do but unfortunately it may be true.
The precedence set by requiring every living American to buy a private market product simply for being born and breathing cannot stand. It will not stop at health insurance. Under this interpretation of the constitution if legislators can tell you what you must buy they can tell you what you cannot buy. The federal government will have no limit of commerce authority. Tell you what to buy, tax you if you don’t. I have never denounced government. I reject any absolute authority of government because that is in effect not a free republic. Obama overstepped his bounds and the Supreme Court just let him in a calculated move to remove him and most other Democrats from office.
The truth is repealing the AHCA will not fix the prescedence set by the Roberts Court. They will need to review this ruling and Citizens United if we are ever going to get back to normal. The corporate influences on public government must be dealt with. There should be no cozy relationship of any kind. It’s key.
Congratulations to the GOP in their November victory. The political tactics of the right have proven to be vastly superior to the short term thinking on the left. It is over now except for the endless Repeal Obamacare ads. Sorry, “Repeal and Replace”.