Democratic Primaries
Related: About this forumThe "Medicare for All" Conversation Is Surreal
This is what makes the whole conversation about Medicare for All so surreal. On the primary trail, Warren and Bernie Sanders are trying to outdo one another over who has the best plan to nationalize the American health insurance system. Journalists and think tankersmyself includedare scrutinizing the detailed mechanics of their proposals while the candidates supporters snipe at one another. Just about every primary debate has started with a repetitious scuffle over single payer. The topic has sucked the oxygen out of almost any other major policy discussion.
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Even if Democrats can retake the Senatewhich would require a small miraclethere is more than enough opposition to kill a single-payer bill. Sitting Sen. Amy Klobuchar is campaigning for president on a platform that consists largely of trashing Medicare for All. Ohios Sherrod Brown, long one of the chambers most progressive members, says that it would be a terrible mistake for the Democratic nominee to support Medicare for All. Joe Manchin exists. Kyrsten Sinema exists. These are the facts on the ground. And while Bernie Sanders can threaten moderates like Manchin all he likes, American presidents dont exactly have the greatest track record of bending a recalcitrant Congress to their wills, even when theyre relatively fresh off an election win and Capitol Hill is led by their own party. (See: Donald Trump and Obamacare repeal, George W. Bush and Social Security privatization, Bill Clinton and his health care plan.)
So why are we even talking about Medicare for All at this point?
One part of the answer is that presidential campaigns arent just about making realistic promises about what youll do in the White House, but are also about laying out a broader philosophical vision. They are also a chance to change public opinion: Single payer was barely on the publics radar before Bernie Sanders ran in 2016. Now its mainstream. And while Sanders and Warren might have little chance of passing Medicare for All as president, their efforts to build support for it could pay off one day down the line when President Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is entering her first 100 days in office. Its fair to think about all this as part of a larger, ideological battle over the partys very long-term future, not just on health care policy but regarding the entire size and role of government in society.
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But theres an additional, possibly more cynical layer of this whole odd debate. Warren is fighting to win over Sanders voters (or at least trying to make herself acceptable to them) and has pretty clearly decided that hugging single payer for dear life is the only way she can do it. Early on in the campaign, she was wishy-washy on health care. It wasnt really her issue. When Bloombergs Joe Weisenthal asked her in January whether shed support banning private insurance or preferred something more like a public option, she basically answered: Yes, all of the above.
https://slate.com/business/2019/11/medicare-for-all-warren-bernie-democrats.html
If reason is to be applied to the debate, it is clear that MfA has a snowflake's chance of being passed any time soon. In the mean time, the debate seriously cuts into the chances of winning the next election, no matter who is the eventual Democratic nominee.
So, is the entire MfA debate useless or even worse, counter-productive? Hell no! It defines a long-term narrative for the Democrats and clears the path to single payer health care in one form or another, however long it might take. Just let's not lose perspective, and let's take it easy on the rhetoric. The first step, which makes all other steps possible, is to end the Trump nightmare and take charge of government.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Dem4Life1102
(3,974 posts)but he has a point that M4A has as much chance of passing as Mexico paying for the border wall.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Thekaspervote
(32,762 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
enid602
(8,616 posts)Dont forget our upwards of $1.5 T annual deficit, thanks to the new tax law. Biggest transfer of wealth in US history. We wont even be able to honor current Medicare, SS and Medicaid commitments, much less entertain the plethora of fanciful proposals being considered by some to gain support in an election year.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Perseus
(4,341 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
Doesnt seem to be the focus of her message. I think the republicans will fight to the death to protect their tax legislation.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
BeyondGeography
(39,371 posts)and convince us that what we have (the worst health care system in the western world from a patient standpoint) is so much better than what we could have.
Carry on.
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
beastie boy
(9,328 posts)No thanks!
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
BeyondGeography
(39,371 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
betsuni
(25,492 posts)Carry on.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
redqueen
(115,103 posts)Keeping it in the discussion is great but we can stop getting into the weeds about the details and stop sniping at each other about it.
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
empedocles
(15,751 posts)The cost -benefit ratio for all Dems is suspect.
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
KPN
(15,643 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
Perseus
(4,341 posts)way down, I start thinking to myself "this must have been posted by a Biden supporter", then I scroll down and I see Biden's picture corroborating my suspicion.
DISCLAIMER: If Biden becomes the nominee, I WILL SUPPORT HIM. THIS IS NOT AN ANTI-BIDEN opinion, its a PRO-HEALTHCARE-FOR-ALL opinion.
We, as citizens need to think, expect, demand, whatever you want to call it "healthcare for all", why do we have to settle for less? The meme that republicans and the healthcare industry have put out that "people love their current health insurance" is just that, a meme trying to sway public opinion.
Many countries in the World have had universal healthcare for its citizens for years, there is no reason, besides the insurance and medical industry push-back, that the USA cannot have the same and work great for all its citizens.
I wish this kind of articles would not pop-up now and then for the simple reason to support a candidate's antiquated and negative view on something that should have been implemented a long time ago. We all benefit from universal healthcare, whether you call it "Medicare for All", or "Obamacare", or whatever. We need to support it, and not support the opposite just because the candidate we like won't support it, lets make our preferred candidate understand that we do want universal healthcare, have him/her change his/her tune on the subject, not the other way around.
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
beastie boy
(9,328 posts)Your point depends on how you define "settle". Obamacare is the single most significant healthcare legislation since the inception of Medicare. And extremely popular. I doubt you would be able to convince the majority of voters that they have settled for less.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Perseus
(4,341 posts)Universal Healthcare must be the goal. Obama's goal was bigger than what Obamacare delivered, by no fault of Obama's administration, there was a lot of rejection from republicans, but M4A must be the goal, and some of the candidates seem to think it is impossible, which is not. If other countries have been able to implement it successfully there is no reason why the USA cannot do the same.
Some candidates are even repeating the republican meme that some people "love their insurance", that must stop.
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
beastie boy
(9,328 posts)And most of them love their insurance. No, it's not just me repeating the republican meme. They really do.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
TidalWave46
(2,061 posts)Single Payer is the goal for a lot of Democrats and people on the left. Not enough to make it even close to a reality. People who understand how to get it done are offering varying ways to get there. Others are trying to continue building public support for Single Payer, which isn't there, but their voices are necessary if it is to ever get there.
Single payer is currently closing in on the later stages of being an activist driven idea. The concept hasn't been fully accepted by the party or it's voters but it's building. It's still a concept being driven by activist.
This is what such a fight looks like. I think it's a good thing.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Gothmog
(145,176 posts)Link to tweet
You just don't think that that plan would ever get enacted? interviewer Andrew Ross Sorkin asked Clinton at The New York Times DealBook Conference.
No, I don't. I don't, but the goal is the right goal, the former secretary of State responded.
I believe the smarter approach is to build on what we have. A public option is something I've been in favor of for a very long time, Clinton said. I don't believe we should be in the midst of a big disruption while we are trying to get to 100 percent coverage and deal with costs.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden