Health Care As We Know It
2009-08-18 - by
There is an echo of the old welfare debate in the health-care debate. But worse – for Democrats.
Until Bill Clinton “ended welfare as we know it,” welfare was a huge political problem for Democrats. Big majorities of the public – black and white – objected to a program they believed took money from them and give it to other people, some deserving but some not.
Today, a lot of people object to health-care reform because they think it will take their money to benefit people who – some deservedly and some not – don’t have health insurance or who don’t take care of themselves.
But health-care reform is potentially more explosive. Why? Because people also fear – rightly or wrongly – that health-care reform will take away or jeopardize their own health insurance and health care.
This is a dangerous combination
Health Care As We Know It
2009-08-18/
There is an echo of the old welfare debate in the health-care debate. But worse – for Democrats.
Until Bill Clinton “ended welfare as we know it,” welfare was a huge political problem for Democrats. Big majorities of the public – black and white – objected to a program they believed took money from them and give it to other people, some deserving but some not.
Today, a lot of people object to health-care reform because they think it will take their money to benefit people who – some deservedly and some not – don’t have health insurance or who don’t take care of themselves.
But health-care reform is potentially more explosive. Why? Because people also fear – rightly or wrongly – that health-care reform will take away or jeopardize their own health insurance and health care.
This is a dangerous combination