Ah, How Memory Fades
Hard to believe, but Harold Pollack actually wrote this at the Incidental Economist blog:
The Romney campaign’s Medicare plan is still largely vaporware at this point. The contrast to the Democratic plans developed between 2006 and 2008 is telling. Before the Obama presidency, Democratic constituencies and candidates produced highly wonked-out white papers and proposals that were poured over and vetted by leading experts. Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, and John Edwards produced broadly similar plans with real detail and political backing that formed the core of what became the Affordable Care Act.
Republicans really haven’t done the same hard political and policy work in their Medicare plan.
In the last election, the McCain health plan was far more detailed than the Obama plan. It’s precisely because McCain said how he would pay for his plan (by replacing existing health insurance tax subsidies) whereas Obama did not (no mention of “robbing Medicare” or hidden taxes on the middle class), that Obama was able to demagogue the McCain plan in a multimillion dollar ad campaign. I have estimated before that no public policy idea has ever been subjected to so much negative advertising in the history of the republic.
What makes this all the more remarkable is that the McCain plan was far more progressive than ObamaCare!
Anyway, why would Republicans trot out a detailed reform plan right before an election, given the character of their opponents?
They wouldn’t, that would be poor politics. Giving your opponets material to smeer before an election wouldn’t be dumb considering the lack of popularity for obamacare.
“Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, and John Edwards produced broadly similar plans with real detail and political backing that formed the core of what became the Affordable Care Act” …and this is probably why the American health care system is so praised everywhere around the globe…NOT.
I think both campaigns should release detailed policy plans, in all fields, so that the american people can judge and compare the two.
Yes, the current political climate doesn’t encourage this type of campaigning. But if we want a better system we must not support the status quo!
If you think about in, the best strategy is to create great-sounding sound bites and use them to whip up support without giving opponents enough detail to tear it apart.
Buster: It may be the best strategy to get elected, but is the best way to elect a president?
Facts are important, and plans should be analyzed to be sure they are supported by the facts.
“Anyway, why would Republicans trot out a detailed reform plan right before an election, given the character of their opponents?”
That goes both ways (death panels). Since the GOP has been emphasizing reducing our debt, I think they should tell us how they will do it. We know that in the past, when they have a GOP president, they increase debt, not reduce it. Why will it be different this time?
Steve
Its seems this polical warfare over healthcare is full of holes.
It could be useful to Romney to provide details on how he would reduce discriminatory tax treatment of health insurance, if his proposal is a good one.
A tax credit for individuals who purchase their own coverage, restricted to plans that meet the same rules as employer-sponsored coverage, would address one of the concerns about McCain’s proposal: that adverse selection would undercut employer-sponsored plans.
A secondary benefit to Romney would be that he could then show that if such a qualified tax credit were in place, then Massachusetts’s individual mandate might actually be unnecessary. The tax credit would provide as much or more incentive to purchase coverage, and if needed the state could always boost the incentive by adding its own tax credit.
Cost would be a small fraction of the tax expenditure that already goes toward the employer exclusion, and could be offset by a cap or small reduction in the latter.
If the McCain plan was far more progressive and detailed than the Obama plan…why are Americans so misled as to which political party is being more transparent and honest? Sigh..
If only the McCain health plan had been given a chance…if only..