Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
Congratulations to our presumptive Democratic nominee, Joe Biden!
Democratic Primaries
In reply to the discussion: Medicare for All a Vote Loser in 2018 U.S. House Elections [View all]Gothmog
(145,291 posts)27. Medicare for All a Vote Loser in 2018 U.S. House Elections
I really like Larry Sabato and agree with this study http://crystalball.centerforpolitics.org/crystalball/articles/medicare-for-all-a-vote-loser-in-2018-u-s-house-elections/
Medicare for All has emerged as a key issue in the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination campaign. Two of the leading candidates, Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), have made Medicare for All a central issue in their campaigns. Warrens and Sanders proposals would abolish private health insurance in the U.S. within a few years and move all Americans into a government health plan based on the current Medicare program but with no copayments or deductibles.
Several Democratic candidates, including former Vice President Joe Biden, who has led in most national polls, have been highly critical of this idea. These candidates, along with a number of health policy experts and pundits, have attacked Sanders and Warrens Medicare for All proposal as prohibitively expensive and politically unrealistic. They have also argued that embracing Medicare for All would alienate many independents and moderate Democrats and risk costing Democrats the electoral votes of several key swing states.....
Conclusions
An analysis of the impact of Medicare for All on the 2018 House elections indicates that Democratic challengers and open seat candidates in competitive districts who endorsed a version of Medicare for All similar to that proposed by Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren did significantly worse than those who did not. This negative effect, close to five points of margin after controlling for a variety of other factors, was clearly large enough to affect the outcomes of some House contests.
It is possible that the estimated effect of Medicare for All was a byproduct of other differences between supporters and non-supporters. For example, supporters might have taken more liberal positions on a variety of other issues as well as Medicare for All. Even if that is the case, however, these findings are not encouraging to supporters of Medicare for All. They indicate that candidates in competitive races who take positions to the left of the median voter could get punished at the polls. Democratic presidential candidates would do well to take heed of these results, particularly as the eventual nominee determines what he or she wishes to emphasize in the general election.
Several Democratic candidates, including former Vice President Joe Biden, who has led in most national polls, have been highly critical of this idea. These candidates, along with a number of health policy experts and pundits, have attacked Sanders and Warrens Medicare for All proposal as prohibitively expensive and politically unrealistic. They have also argued that embracing Medicare for All would alienate many independents and moderate Democrats and risk costing Democrats the electoral votes of several key swing states.....
Conclusions
An analysis of the impact of Medicare for All on the 2018 House elections indicates that Democratic challengers and open seat candidates in competitive districts who endorsed a version of Medicare for All similar to that proposed by Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren did significantly worse than those who did not. This negative effect, close to five points of margin after controlling for a variety of other factors, was clearly large enough to affect the outcomes of some House contests.
It is possible that the estimated effect of Medicare for All was a byproduct of other differences between supporters and non-supporters. For example, supporters might have taken more liberal positions on a variety of other issues as well as Medicare for All. Even if that is the case, however, these findings are not encouraging to supporters of Medicare for All. They indicate that candidates in competitive races who take positions to the left of the median voter could get punished at the polls. Democratic presidential candidates would do well to take heed of these results, particularly as the eventual nominee determines what he or she wishes to emphasize in the general election.
If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Edit history
Please sign in to view edit histories.
64 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight:
NoneDon't highlight anything
5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
RecommendedHighlight replies with 5 or more recommendations
Moderates won back the house running on the ACA and /or local issues...so if we run on MFA,you
Demsrule86
Nov 2019
#3
Medicare for all in its current form will not be the final product. There will be compromise just
vsrazdem
Nov 2019
#38
And I do not want to lose downballot races due to a plan that was proven to hurt candidates
Gothmog
Nov 2019
#39
Whoever wins the primary will be the one running and that choice is for the American people to
vsrazdem
Nov 2019
#40
Whoever wins, wins. That's how it works, it is about the president of the US, not about
vsrazdem
Nov 2019
#45
I don't like Medicare...don't get me wrong...glad such a program exist...but there are multiple
Demsrule86
Nov 2019
#4
I would like to see universal healthcare modeled on the military program...we have a great program
Demsrule86
Nov 2019
#11
Don't let anyone take them away...no one in any party...union and military benefits are the best
Demsrule86
Nov 2019
#15
The GOP have been coming for your benefits for years...But I think MFA is a threat to union
Demsrule86
Nov 2019
#18
Medicare is the model though and it shouldn't be IMHO. I fail to see why it is a good idea to start
Demsrule86
Nov 2019
#13
If you want to expand on the ACA or Obamacare, then don't call it the ACA or Obamacare.
Hassin Bin Sober
Nov 2019
#22
LOL, says much more concisely what I was basically saying in post #23! (n/t)
thesquanderer
Nov 2019
#25
Warren's latest health plan is causing concerns for some centrist, moderate and rural Democrats
Gothmog
Nov 2019
#60
It is not a winning issue and there is no question...those running on the ACA are doing better...we
Demsrule86
Nov 2019
#14
Because that would make them a corporatist DINO sellout. Try to keep up.....
brooklynite
Nov 2019
#28
Try to keep up! There's a monster in the White House and half of America find ridding
Laura PourMeADrink
Nov 2019
#31
You do remember we lost the House, and ultimately the Senate primarily due to suspicions over ACA?
Tarheel_Dem
Nov 2019
#44
The midterm elections were, to an important extent, a referendum on the Affordable Care Act
Gothmog
Nov 2019
#56
+1. I can't imagine Congress Critters having to go back home and defend something that...
Tarheel_Dem
Nov 2019
#57