Obamas sjukvårdsreform blev ett nederlag för republikanerna. Nu börjar det höras allt fler röster från konservativt håll om att tona ner retoriken och fokusera på en ny strategi. Den röst som fått mest uppmärksamhet senaste dygnet är David Frum. Har du inte redan läst hans åsikter i frågan så gör det bums. Ett av veckans absolut måsten att läsa i sin helhet:
How GOP can rebound from it’s Waterloo
Några utvalda stycken nedan, men läs hela artikeln.
Some Republicans talk of repealing the whole bill. That’s not very realistic. Even supposing that Republicans miraculously capture both houses of Congress in November, repeal will require a presidential signature.
More relevantly: Do Republicans write a one-sentence bill declaring that the whole thing is repealed? Will they vote to reopen the ”doughnut” hole for prescription drugs for seniors? To allow health insurers to deny coverage to people with pre-existing conditions? To kick millions of people off Medicaid?
It’s unimaginable, impossible.
The vitriolic talking heads on conservative talk radio and shock TV have very different imperatives from people in government. Talk radio thrives on confrontation and recrimination.
When Rush Limbaugh said that he wanted Obama to fail, he was intelligently explaining his own interests. What he omitted to say — but what is equally true — is that he also wants Republicans to fail.
If Republicans succeed — if they govern successfully in office and negotiate attractive compromises out of office — Rush’s listeners get less angry. And if they are less angry, they listen to the radio less and hear fewer ads for Sleep Number beds.