Greg Sargent on When We Might Have an Intelligent Debate About Obamacare

      I like Greg Sargent but sometimes he just seems too optimistic about things. He's always ready for an intelligent debate about this or that issue. For instance, he even thinks there is something redeeming in having Ted Cruz run for President in terms of fostering an intelligent debate(!)

     "It’s good that Cruz is running. We’ll hopefully find out soon enough how much of a conservative outlier Cruz really is in today’s Republican Party."

      http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2015/03/23/morning-plum-is-ted-cruz-really-an-outlier-in-todays-gop/

      http://diaryofarepublicanhater.blogspot.com/2015/03/much-ado-about-ted-cruz-running-for.html

     I think his running will foster some comic relief that's all. Ok, in a way, Sargent is right in that Cruz will make it uncomfortable for the other GOPers, but that's only because they basically agree with him on everything substantively, but just wish he'd stop being so proudly blatant about everything. They understand the need to prettify things up in the general election. Cruz doesn't, and the base likes that, but at the end of the day, the GOP Establishment won't let that happen. 

     I mean do you believe that most Republicans disagree in substance with Todd Akin on abortion? I don't, they just know that he went about talking about it in an 'inartful way.' I mean if you disagree, check out how many abortion clinics are open in deep Red states. 

    My theory is that to have an intelligent debate about anything, make sure that there aren't any Republicans in it. Now Sargent speculates on an intelligent debate on Obamacare:

    "The Affordable Care Act was signed five years ago today, and Jonathan Cohn has a terrific look at the law’s successes and failures, the undying Republican crusade to repeal it, and the need for a real debate about the continuing problems in our health care system. Conclusion:

An intelligent debate over these issues and how to address them would be constructive, interesting and even unpredictable. It’s one that most of the law’s advocates would love to have. But it can’t take place when one of the two major political parties is waging an all-out, all-or-nothing fight to wipe the law off the books. Maybe five years from now, at the law’s 10th anniversary, that campaign will finally be over.

    "Maybe!"

     Let me ask you this: when did the GOP crusade against Social Security and Medicare stop? I know trick question: it actually didn't. I mean, they stopped saying they want to abolish SS and Medicare; now they say they want to fix it or save it but really they want to abolish the programs as much as ever. 

    The right question then is when will Republicans stop saying they want to destroy Obamacare? I think we'll know exactly when: it'll be the moment they stop calling it Obamacare. At that point they may even start calling it Romneycare again and remember it basically was based on GOP libertarian theory in the first place. 

    I mean Obamacare is basically the GOP plan for Medicare. But  they'll stop wanting to kill the ACA when it-if it-becomes more popular. Then they'll want to save it-and stop calling it Obamacare. But they'll still want to kill it. They don't give up many fights. They are still fighting the Voting Rights Act 50 years later-and gaining some considerable victories in John Roberts' Supreme Court. 

    http://diaryofarepublicanhater.blogspot.com/2013/06/scotus-rolls-back-voting-rights.html

     The GOP-at least going back to Goldwater-don't have intellectual debates about ideas-about tactics, about process, yes-but never about ideas. So I'm sorry but even raising the question just seems too Quixotic for me. No one has ever been disappointed underestimating the modern Republican party. 

    UPDATE: E.J. Dionne now sees that he wrongly fell for GOP rhetoric about inequality.

    http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/this-is-no-way-to-ease-inequality/2015/03/22/5ef552d6-cf5e-11e4-8c54-ffb5ba6f2f69_story.html?hpid=z3

     There is no chance at a serious discussion on that-with GOPers-either. Largely because as Dionne admits they mostly don't think inequality matters. Just optimize growth and they'll be enough for everyone is what the GOP really believes.