2010 Midterms

“If you’re logging in for the first time in a few days and catching up on health care reform, you’ve probably read a few articles about how the issue will play in the 2010 midterm elections, assuming Congress passes a bill sometime early in the new year. Some people think the issue will help the Democrats, because it’s a huge, historic accomplishment that will (eventually) address economic insecurity. Others think it will hurt the Democrats, since it’s a big government program and won’t do anything to boost jobs in the next few months. Also, polls suggest that health care reform is not particularly popular right now, although that could simply reflect predictable (and fleeting) ambivalence about the legislation process. Republicans invoked the same refrain during the final days of the Senate debate. And, at a time when voters were pretty clearly disenchanted with the legislative process, I’m sure it didn’t help the Democrats in the polls. But did it help the Republicans? Will it help them in the future? I can’t imagine how. Voters don’t tend to associate Republicans with populist crusades against the drug and insurance industries. And for good reason. In debates over the balance between business and government, whether it’s the economy generally or health care specifically, Republicans have always been the one standing up for the corporations.”