TPM President Obama pointed out today that despite the many criticisms of the health care bill by Republicans, it's a lot like the plan former GOP Gov. Mitt Romney passed in Massachusetts.
In doing this Obama ties Romney to the [tepid, centrist] health-care reform just passed by Congress. Fast-forward to 2012 when Romney (who at this point appears to be the most formidable Democratic challenge) is forced to tack very hard right to sustain the attacks leveled by Palin, Huckabee and talk radio.
To win the GOP nomination, Romney will have to totally disavow his own plan, while at the same time deliver what borders on hate-speech re: immigration, national security, and treatment of detainees.
And then compete with Obama in the general election.
The GOP will fail in 2012 by its own hand, sacrificing its best shot at the presidency in favor of demagoguery and ideological purity.
On this subject, the health-care win for the Democrats (and "loss" for Republicans, in the zero-sum American political parlance) really does seem like an own-goal by the GOP.
Obama did sign into law HCR that strongly resembles Romney's plan in Massachusetts, and whatever political hay the Republicans will make out "socialism" or "radical government take-over" or whatever the hell they're saying, will be offset by the Democrats' legislative victory (voters like winners).
The Republicans could have signed on to the bill (taking advantage of Obama's fetish for having one, just one Republican signature), and continued the decade-long narrative that the Democrats can't do anything without Republican support, and the Dems are feckless losers who can't find their ass with both hands.
Instead the Democrats sign into law a Republican bill, the media narrative is "The Biggest Legislative Victory in Decades" and the Democrats look like winners with a nicked Republican plan.
Boehner and Steele should be strung up.
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