The following is my comment to Byron York’s piece in the Washington Examiner of March 24, 2017, “14 Lessons from the GOP Obamacare Debacle”, (http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/byron-york-14-lessons-from-the-gop-obamacare-debacle/article/2618439?fb_action_ids=427872760895604&fb_action_types=og.comments)
Byron York of the Washington Examiner is correct in his post-mortem of the failure of the House Republican healthcare bill. He is most insightful in his last “lesson” to be gleaned from the debacle: it’s still way too early to write off the Trump presidency. It certainly isn’t a great start, but this too will fade as the unexpected comes to the fore.
Here are my “lessons”:
1) All large organizations have factions, particularly narrow, purist factions. I call the Freedom Caucus the seppuku clique among Republicans. With a small congressional majority, their influence looms much too large in the GOP tent. The arts of working with others not so inclined in their tenets isn’t in their DNA. Self-critiques of their behavior and beliefs are nowhere evident. They would be more comfortable in Mohammed’s legions than learning the ropes of governing with others of divergent views. Ways must be found to diminish their ranks. At least primary them!
2) “Insurance” and “healthcare” has been allowed to be bollixed together. Nothing can be further from the truth. One can have “health insurance” without “healthcare”(as Obamacare shows), and vice versa. So, the public discussion takes place on the Democrat’s favorite collectivist grounds. “Insurance” cements the idea in the public that somebody else will take care of their medical needs and wants. It’s the natural playground for socialists/progressives/collectivists of all stripes. Anything based on somebody else paying will produce a mess. Before venturing into the swamp again, much greater efforts must be made to reduce this opening for Democrat demogoguery.
3) This is more about what to do. Put the issue behind you. Obamacare is imploding. Spare no opportunity to point fingers at the Dem-Mensheviks for foisting the thing on us, as well as those purist zealots in the Republican ranks who won’t accept any other choice than between Valhalla and suicide. These are the dominoes: implode first; primary the purist fusspots second; and thirdly present a Marshall Plan rescue package in the wake of the ruins. The only problem is that the Republicans may not be in a position to do much by the time we get to rescue. To avoid that unhappy fate, create a record of success elsewhere, like with infrastructure, tax reform, rolling back the commissariats, etc. On this, you’re right Byron York.
I can’t help but come back to the baleful influence of the maniacal diehards. With a small Republican majority, they hold too many trump cards. They won’t get their libertarian heaven. Instead, we’ll most likely get Dem majorities and full-blown Castro-care. Querulous perfectionists are liabilities to their own side as they are assets for the opposition.
RogerG