‘Top Line’ — Health Care’s 2010 Fallout
EmailABC News’ Rick Klein reports: The battle over health care reform has developed into the rarest of issues: Both sides are equally convinced that the same outcome — Democrats passing a health care bill into law — will be a political winner for them in 2010. A provocative column in today’s Washington Post — written by two Democratic pollsters, one who worked for President Carter, and one for President Clinton — challenged Democratic conventional wisdom on the subject. Write Patrick H. Caddell and Douglas E. Schoen: “First, the battle for public opinion has been lost. Comprehensive health care has been lost. If it fails, as appears possible, Democrats will face the brunt of the electorate's reaction. If it passes, however, Democrats will face a far greater calamitous reaction at the polls. Wishing, praying or pretending will not change these outcomes.” That inspired our “Top Line” question of the day: Will passing health care reform ignite a voter backlash? Or will Democrats be able to sell something to voters — once, that is, they have something to sell? Much different responses from @DWyeth: "People don't like the bill — until you tell them what's in it. Then they like it. The Dems will dominate in Nov." And from @MayBeeTweet: "It's hard to imagine their sales job will get any better after the bill than it has been for a year now." We talked about all that and more on ABC’s “Top Line” with Adam Nagourney of The New York Times. “I think you have two very different sides — people who really disagree on this, on the politics of it and the policy of it,” Nagourney said. “And I think that’s what this election is going to be about, with one caveat. One thing we’ve learned again and again in this environment, is that attention span — ‘ADD America’ here, right? So like, who knows? If we’re here six months from now, we might be talking about something completely different. But that said, this seems like a powerful issue that the Democrats have clearly decided to roll the dice on.” Watch the “Top Line” segment with Adam Nagourney HERE.
Obama: 'Now Is the Time For Common Sense Action' 
Romney Takes Aim at Conservatives
PASS IT ON YOUR WAY OUT, when 70% of the voteing public is against it your spin will not save you ,Obama and his spinners keep trying to get it passed by any means. Pelosi has said you should fall on your sword for this abomination I SAY RETAIN YOUR RESPECT AND YOUR POSITION SO YOU CAN FIGHT AGAIN FOR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE not Obama.
Posted by: earl | March 12, 2010, 3:29 pm 3:29 pm
So, 2010 will be an unmitigated disaster for Democrats if healthcare reform passes…but the country will be on the road to billions of dollars in deficit reduction, citizens will no longer be denyied coverage for pre-existing conditions, or have their insurance capped, premiums will go down, or at least hold steady, and small businesses will not have to choose between hiring more workers or dropping coverage. I’ll take the political losses in the short term, for what we, as a country, will gain in the long term.
Posted by: Amy in Maine | March 12, 2010, 4:14 pm 4:14 pm
Just one question, if this bill is so good why do the democrats keep adding stuff (i.e. student loan subsidies, sweetheart deals, etc.)?
Posted by: Sharonann Tomal | March 12, 2010, 5:50 pm 5:50 pm
Can you wait three or four years for all of this wonderful stuff that could get repealed after you paid the taxes, which start at once and you get nothing.
Posted by: earl | March 12, 2010, 6:17 pm 6:17 pm
He’s fininshed. The bill wont have any impact until ’12. This means the Congress will take the fall for people getting taxed, without seeing anything change, and the President will lose the majority and not know how to work with the other side of the aisle.
He then will get another hit when people hold him accountable for the effect of the law.
So his party takes the fall first, and he suffers from losing his support base, and not knowing how to work (compromise) with those who disagree with his edicts.
Truly this bill is not only Obama’s “waterloo” but the party’s as well.
The GOP just needs to sit back, shut up, and let the events play out. The people will be too mad either way to care that they are R’s, they will just be looking to punish those who sold them out, for a fleeting moment of political self interest, preservation.
The D’s have had the House, Senate and the White House, and by any stretch of the imagination, they failed… BIG TIME!
The wars, health care, bailouts, bankruptcy, bank failures, the middle east, everything has been one big gigantic waste of one opportunity for reform and meaningful change after the other.
And while the flamers and true beLIEvers come out of the woodwork on these blogs, you cannot escape the fact that Obama’s numbers are going down, and the Democrat Congress is at an ALL TIME low…
That is reality, wether you choose to deny it or not. You can deny it, censor it or reject it from your conscience, but at some point you will be accountable for it, as it is inevitable.
Posted by: jafo | March 13, 2010, 3:18 pm 3:18 pm
GOD HELP US! Obama has lots of “bribe” money to make deals to ram Obamacare down our throats. This corrupt administration has no problem governing “against” the will of the people. Hopefully, the party will be over in November.
Posted by: PROUD AMERICAN | March 13, 2010, 5:58 pm 5:58 pm
I think that we are missing the forest from the trees. This bill is not about healthcare reform.
Pure and simple, this is a vehicle for a larger goal of bringing socialism AKA communism) into America. Obama himself said, “Redistribution of Wealth”.
The government wants absolute and total control of everything that touches our life. They want to control Healthcare, Auto Industry, Student Loans, Banking & Finance, Commerce, Envoirnment (Cap & Trade). You name it.
Now there is work in progress to also co-own the judiciary as well. (remember the recent dressing down of The Supreme Court Justices by Obama and the current ongoing spat between Chief Justice Roberts and the White House).
The goal is to have the populace become subject to handouts and make perpetual beggers out of Americans. No more private ownership, private thinking, enterprenurship, risk taking or capital formation.
Once we all become habitual beggers, we will always be on the dole for government handouts and will always vote for Democrats.
The real agenda is to have a captive people who are always dependent on the Government.
Life as we have known is coming to an end. There will be no more “American Dream”.
Posted by: calif guy | March 15, 2010, 1:10 am 1:10 am