Michael Tomasky thinks Warren's campaign is planning to "inch away" from Medicare For All

[highplainsdem]

https://www.thedailybeast.com/its-great-to-see-democrats-falling-in-love-with-elizabeth-warrenand-terrible-to-see-them-hating-on-joe-biden

Tomasky's very much a Warren supporter

I like and admire Elizabeth Warren. I don’t agree with every one of her positions—starting with her most notable one, to which we’ll return shortly. But I’m behind her 1,000 percent when it comes to her anger on behalf of the shafted middle and working classes in this country. And some of her ideas that get less attention are nothing short of thrilling to me, like how she would attack monopoly power. Impressively, her raft of proposals includes a strong agenda on behalf of people who probably aren’t going to give a liberal Massachusetts Democrat more than 20 percent of their votes, like farmers.

She has also, of course, turned out to be a much better campaigner than people thought she was going to be. She’s dynamic. She loves crowds, and the crowds love her. For somebody who had to be talked into running for the Senate in the first place, she’s really taken to this, and she’s great at it.

but his thoughts about why she hasn't released her own health care plan (and recently said she wouldn't, that she's for MFA like Sanders) -- even though she's released so many other very detailed plans -- are similar to mine..

This is from a section of the column about her electoral weaknesses:

But more important are some of the positions she’s taken, notably Medicare for All, and raising her hand to affirm she’d eliminate private insurance, which is captured on video. That figures to be a huge general election problem. You see that she dodges the tax question, and she dodges it because the truth is really complicated—some people’s overall health-care outlays will go down as promised, but others’ will go up, and not just rich people. And that’s just the most obvious of many complications. You probably haven’t noticed this, but the Warren campaign has yet to release its official health-care policy. I can guarantee you that they haven’t done so because they’re trying to figure out how they can inch themselves away from the whole-hog position she’s adopted on the trail without the left screaming betrayal.

Emphasis added.

It has been very noticeable that while Sanders admits taxes on the middle class will go up, Warren always dodges the question.

Some in the media, like Frank Bruni, admire that

https://www.democraticunderground.com/1287277107

but I think it's probably hurting her credibility with people who aren't already supporters.

Stephen Colbert asked her the tax question again last night on the Late Show, and she again dodged it.

Colbert appears to admire her. And I think he was trying to help her when he suggested she just compare MFA to public schools as an argument that this is something we need to pay for with higher taxes if necessary. But she changed the subject to evade that suggestion.

She's a good campaigner.

Which means she's read the same polls we've seen showing that the public option polls better than MFA.

She has to know supporting MFA could hurt her in the general election, if she's the nominee.

Is it possible she's decided not to release her own health care plan -- unusual as that is for her -- simply to allow herself a lot of wiggle room to move away from MFA later?

[DrToast]

1. Oh man...that would definitely cause some heads to explode

[Cha]

2. She and her staff are probably

reading this by Michael Tomasky, a strong supporter of hers, who wants her to win.

Thank you, highplainsdem

[JI7]

3. shows she is strategic and doing what she needs to win.

[highplainsdem]

4. See reply 1.

[ritapria]

5. Middle Class Taxes will have to go up under MFA

I support MFA but it I ain't for free …. The benefits of MFA greatly outweigh the costs ..That is why every other major developed country has embraced it … Elizabeth should come clean on this key issue

[still_one]

6. She can't, at least not during the primaries. She is too far in. Most of her momentum I believe

is from folks migrating from the Sanders camp to her, and she would lose that support if she backed down from M4A

[JI7]

7. maybe she will after the first 2 states. once you get into states with more minorities

you have more people that want ACA and to work upon that.

[still_one]

9. I think that could be a very likely scenario. I am not sure I know what people want, but I do

believe that it is pretty unlikely M4A pass through Congress. The ACA barely made it.

[redstateblues]

8. If she doesn't and she wins the nomination she loses the General

As attractive an idea as it might be it is a loser in the General.

[floppyboo]

10. why give the GOP verbatim vid clips for attack ads?

She's been very clever in her answers.

[Blue_true]

11. Good idea if she does.

I like a public option or Medicare for those that want or need it. If she left private insurance that policyholders like alone, but provided a Medicare like option for the unemployed that are beyond COBRA, then such a plan would be a big winner.

I think she should inch to "Medicare for anyone that need it". Given how smart her campaign has been, I just don't understand why she hitched on the Bernie Sanders Medicare for All idea to begin with.

[peggysue2]

12. That inching away from a promise already made . . .

would damage Warren's credibility and her campaign. This was one of the things that happened to Kamala Harris, not being fully forthcoming on her own healthcare plan. If I recall correctly, Kamala Harris said taxes would not go up on the middle class or she didn't feel comfortable in raising taxes on the middle class. Bernie Sanders slammed her with a truth bomb about how unrealistic that position was. I don't agree with Sanders on much but I give him props for being honest on the Medicare for All idea. Of course, taxes would go up. We don't know the level of taxation but higher taxes is a given.

It is strange and atypical of Warren not to provide details or put her own signature on a healthcare plan, to totally defer to Bernie Sanders on the issue. She has a plan and an explanation for funding for all the other ideas. But then, if she's having second thoughts, the reticence would make sense.

Time will tell, I guess. But I expect the inquiries from the press will continue.

[highplainsdem]

13. I agree.