What happens to the Dem majority if...

[SHRED]

...health care reform is signed in to law, has a non-existent or useless public option, and also mandates for everyone to purchase insurance in lieu of penalty?

What happens then?


----

[annabanana]

1. From the Right: "I TOLD you they couldn't do anything right"!

From the Left: "We've been BETRAYED!"

[polichick]

5. And both would be correct. nt

[peace frog]

10. Amen, sister

and they will have earned the scorn heaped upon them from both sides of the aisle.

[Uben]

2. They see some new faces.....

...cuz I will not vote for any congressman who votes against a PO and for a mandate

[Toots]

12. Just how many Congressmen do you get to vote for anyway?

:shrug:

[eridani]

3. We're fucked. Unless--

--the Repukes keep ramping up the asshole act.

[polichick]

4. Use it or lose it. nt

[leveymg]

6. The Dems lose a large chunk of their activist base. Lose a bunch of seats, the majority in 2010-12

Many of us will become alienated to the political process, radicalized. The economy will likely continue its pulling apart at the middle. Wider, deeper poverty and homelessness among the former middle-class. The Obama Administration and the Democratic Party will lose its legitimacy as an instrument of change and reform. I would expect an increase in political violence, and a further tightening of domestic surveillance and repression. A lot of us will either drop out, become militants, or leave the country for better prospects abroad.

The same stuff that happened to the Soviet Union after it collapsed.

[KharmaTrain]

7. It'll Be Back Again...

The bottom line is the status quo is unsustainable. This move for reform isn't some whim, the greed of the insurance companies and the rising cost of healthcare is a national security threat...it endangers the welfare of millions. If costs continue to rise at the predicted clip with no substantial reform, the roles of the uninsured will soar. Also corporations will replace full timers with part timers to avoid the rising contributions on their end. The costs on the economy would be staggering...especially if this stagnant economy doesn't find a way to create a full recovery (translation: more jobs).

In the end, government services will be overwhelmed as the burden of paying for the uninsured falls on state governments...and then onto the federal who will be faced with states defaulting on a California-sized economic disaster. This will mean less for schools, police, fire and transportation as money will have to be diverted to rising medical expenses.

Even with a public option included in a bill, that won't be the end of fixing a very broken healthcare system. Medicare will need to be reformulated to handle the large number of boomers who are starting to collect and the number of those drawing from the system vastly outnumber those who contribute.

Bottom line is the government can mandate, but if people can't afford the insurance, they won't buy. If there's no serious reform, the problems won't go away...they'll get worse. The Democrats will also take a short-term hit for not getting the job done, but in the long run it will cost the rushpublicans as they will be seen for what they were and are...the protectors of the status quo that created this mess and made it worse.

Stay tuned...

[Dawgs]

8. Great. Another hypothetical, 'what if the Democrats fuck it up' thread.

Are some of you rooting for failure?

:eyes:

[BobRossi]

9. What do you mean "if"? nt

[nevergiveup]

11. Fun to think about but not going to happen.

There will be a health care bill with a public option and the president is too smart to agree to a useless PO. Medicare and Social Security were done in increments and this new health care reform will also be fine tuned along the way. If I am wrong and no bill passes then I would confess that the Democrats are screwed.

[peace frog]

14. I hope you are correct

but am prepared for the worst.

[quiller4]

13. Depends almost entirely on what happens to rates. Most don't

care how it happens. They just want to be able to buy affordable coverage.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

15. If the Dems are dumb (and corrupt) enough to pass a Massachusetts-style law

that will be the best gift to the Republicans and third parties and "See I told you they're all the same" non-voters EVER.

Yes, private-based systems work in other countries, but those countries put their insurance companies on a short choke chain. A REAL short choke chain. They can't deny or delay claims, they have to all offer the same package of benefits, they can't refuse or drop or limit anybody, and the charges are based on a person's income.

Giving the current bunch of crooks a guaranteed market is pure corporate welfare.