Republicans Eat Their Own
Avik Roy has a brilliant analysis of the Republican dilemma at National Review. It begins this way:
Along time ago (2011) in a galaxy far, far away (Washington, D.C.), South Carolina senator Jim DeMint voted for a continuing resolution that would fund the government, including ObamaCare. Today, Heritage Foundation president Jim DeMint says that any attempt to fund the government with a continuing resolution that would also fund ObamaCare is an “old-guard…do-nothing strategy” that would represent a “failure of Republicans to show the courage of their convictions” and “further alienate the American people from their government.” That the 2013 DeMint thinks so poorly of the 2011 DeMint tells us a lot about why conservatives have achieved so little on health-care and entitlement reform.
“That the 2013 DeMint thinks so poorly of the 2011 DeMint tells us a lot about why conservatives have achieved so little on health-care and entitlement reform.”
Exactly. We need real conviction of leadership.
Of course, real conviction (Ted Cruz) is met by vitriol. It is understandable why politicians fold.
I think Dr. Roy’s dismissal of the Cruz strategy is inappropriate. He makes good points about there being hope for the future even if ObamaCare isn’t repealed, but why not attack it now? This seems akin to giving up the whole field and then deciding to play defense only in the red zone.
Right, the Cantor Plan has merit, but, Republicans can afford to playing hardball on this issue because the majority of people don’t want it. We have the high ground, we don’t need to use finesse.
*to play
This seems misses the point IMO:
“Even if Obamacare can’t be reversed, it does not spell the doom of conservatism, any more than the passage of the Great Society in 1965 spelled the doom of conservatism, any more than the passage of the New Deal in the 1930s spelled the doom of conservatism, any more than the creation of the Internal Revenue Service and the Federal Reserve in 1913 spelled the doom of conservatism.”
Conservatism won’t die as an ideology, but like with all of those things listed, the country will move farther away from freedom. I think that Avik Roy is off the mark.
Although, I have to give him credit for this:
“And this is where the pro-shutdown forces go terribly wrong. The idea that we had a free-market health-care system before Obamacare, and a socialized one after, is completely and utterly incorrect.”
I think that most conservatives don’t understand this. The sooner the Right gets behind the HSA plan, the better.
Completely agree.
Roy specifically mentions the law not being a defeat for the “cause” of limited government. If that’s all he means, then sure – Obamacare isn’t necessarily an irreparable defeat for limited government’s “cause”. But that really doesn’t matter. Number/ardency/strength of supporters that might be gained aside, it’s a massive government program with its tentacles spread throughout our system – that doesn’t just go away.
Right, we have to take a stand somewhere. I realize the risks are high, but it is worth it.
“In other words: The argument for shutting down the government over Obamacare is an explicitly defeatist one. It is that the endurance of Obamacare would represent a permanent, and irreversible, defeat for the cause of limited government. And this is where the pro-shutdown forces go terribly wrong.”
I don’t see how you can look at the New Deal Era, at the Great Society, etc., and not be concerned that once a program like this is implemented, it is here for good, poor policy or not. It’s not defeatist to think that – it’s being realistic.
Exactly. I usually respect Dr. Roy’s opinions, he is a fine free market advocate, but on this his thinking is off. We need to be willing to lay everything down to stop continued infringement of liberty. The Cantor Plan could prove successful, but his criticism of the Cruz Plan is unjustified.
“Senators Ted Cruz and Mike Lee, have been seeking to convince Republicans to threaten to shut down the government if the Democrats don’t agree to fully defund Obamacare. However, there’s a larger faction of conservatives who see this as a reckless and destructive strategy.”
If this is even a strategy by Ted Cruz it is appalling, he obviously has no idea what shutting down the government even means. I would not want to be the Republican responsible for our soldiers not receiving their paychecks.
Definitely true that it is a huge gamble, although I don’t think it would ever get there. If the day came when this would happen, everyone would jump to keep soldiers, teachers in schools and other government workers on the job. The capitulation would be instant.
I like the Cruz strategy, I think that we need take a stand. We are always getting pushed around and liberty is always infringed. Time for this to stop.
If it defunds Obamacare successfully, then I would gladly take the risks.
Yeah, leave it to a Canadian to propose shutting down the American Government.
Cruz’s “strategy” here is to boost his political profile and fundraising in anticipation of a future presidential run. He’s smart enough to know that his grandstanding could wind up hurting the conservative cause.
ACA needs to be stopped now. Every day that passes provides opportunists, who are seeking to tap into the hundreds of billions of dollars that are necessary to implement ACA, additional time to lobby Republicans and Democrats on the hill. These opportunists have no economic incentive to reduce health care costs or provide quality care to the poor and disabled. Their economic incentive is to lobby the hill for subsidies, tax breaks, and regulations that crush competition, all in the name of helping the poor and disabled…..of course. Mark my words. One day a prominent conservative Senator will announce that he/she no longer supports repealing or defunding Obamacare, providing the Republican party the cover it desperately seeks to milk the ACA slush fund.
As much as I admire Avik Roy, he is being disingenuous on this one. If the Rs pass a CR funding everything except Obamacare,and Obama vetoes it, it is not they who are shutting down the government over Obamacare, but Obama. Every mildly conservative pundit should be stating this — loudly.
“If the Rs pass a CR funding everything except Obamacare,and Obama vetoes it, it is not they who are shutting down the government over Obamacare, but Obama. Every mildly conservative pundit should be stating this — loudly.”
Strictly speaking you’re correct, but this argument won’t be very persuasive outside the echo chamber. One party (who has threatened to shut down the government multiple times) is refusing to fund the government unless an existing law is repealed (though it lacked the votes to repeal the law the previous 41 times it tried to do so), The Dems haven’t used the continuing resolution or the debt ceiling to try to force concessions, whereas the GOP of the last few years has, and it’s easy to view this upcoming clash as a continuation of that trend.
Republicans need to start being clear on their strategy.