Friday, November 1, 2013

So True

From Peter Wehner's "A Debacle for Liberalism" (bolding is mine):

Critics of the president may be wrong. Obamacare may turn out to be one of the most successful and popular programs in the history of man. But whether they are right or wrong, there is at least no confusion as to who has ownership of the Affordable Care Act. We all know who stood where, when; who supported it and who opposed it; and we are now in the process of being able to judge the claims of Obamacare against the reality of Obamacare. An abstract debate can now be measured by its true effects on the nation as a whole.

It looks to us that liberalism, in getting what it wanted, will end up doing significant and sustained damage to itself, to public confidence in government (which is already near historic lows), and to its conception of the welfare state.

It would be quite an historical irony if Obama, who raised such extravagant hopes among progressives when he ran for office, turns out to have a shattering effect on contemporary liberalism. But that may be just where we are heading. Barack Obama may turn out to be the best thing to happen to conservatism since Ronald Reagan.

So true.

The lines have been drawn on Obamacare more clearly than on any other policy issue in my lifetime. The Right is so completely clear and confident that they are right that it's almost scary. Have they lost their minds? It's always dangerous to assert, without the quiver of a question, that you are right and could not possibly be wrong.

If the website begins to work, if enrollment is solid, and if the under 35s' sign up, then they're wrong. They will find a new attack line in order not to admit it, but they will be wrong. Dead wrong.

The very large, current flap on folks losing their individual, bare bones policies is a one time phenomenon. During the open enrollment period next year, this issue will not arise. The adjustment will have been made. So if we have solid enrollment, and the under 35s' have signed up, the system will work.

Does no one in Conservative-land see this possibility?

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