Most of you realize that NO ONE will be talking about HCR before the 2010 election, right?

[Dawgs]

We could be talking about a better(or worse) economy, a new terrorist attack, a new bill, or anything else not related to health care. We could be talking about a lot of things, but as long as this bill passes in the near future we will have moved on to something else.

You all realize that, right?

[HuckleB]

1. Indeed.

[ibegurpard]

2. whistling past the graveyard

nt

[timeforpeace]

8. No shit. Lot of that going on.

[DJ13]

3. I think the mandates will be talked about through the midterms

Its far more controversial than many here think it is, and the GOP will pounce on it.

[Arkana]

6. Pretty sure that's not what they'll concentrate on--more "WE DIDN'T WANT ANY REFORM AT ALL!"

[quiller4]

7. I doubt it. It hardly registers as a concern in polling data.

[Demit]

4. oooh, a poster with a crystal ball! I LOVE these threads!

Tell us more, oh swami. We iz not as smart as you iz.

[bluestateguy]

5. As long as it's done by February

If we start getting into March, April or May, then you are creeping dangerously close to election time.

[cherokeeprogressive]

9. I'll be talking about it. Realize THAT. n/t

[depakid]

10. You actually believe that?

Man, either you're very young- or have a tin ear.

Republicans are going to bash Democrats in every state over mandates- and Dems won't be able to say they got much in return.

This bill alone could mobilize legions of people to go to the polls and vote for whichever party didn't do it, and I'm pretty sure Republicans won't be shy about reminding Americans who that is.

[ibegurpard]

11. the irony is that Republicans get a bill they can live with

AND they get to run against it as well.
and they didn't have to lift a finger.

[depakid]

12. It's a sweet deal alright

Republicans strategists (as opposed to their knuckledragging clients) must be thanking their lucky stars for such good fortune.

Not only does it demoralize the base-but it creates a beauty of a populist wedge issue to exploit middle class resentment.

[LibDemAlways]

19. Yep. It's a win-win for the R's. Dems cheerleading for it now will be

regretting it later as the R's launch an all out attack on the mandate just in time for the midterms.

[tsuki]

14. Raising taxes, the new "health care tax" will be a big item also. nt

[zbdent]

13. Either blaming Obama for the high gas prices,

or screaming about how he's trying to get the government to over-regulate it so much that we will all have to go begging to him directly each time we want to drive to the store for food ...

[mmonk]

15. I do?

[ima_sinnic]

16. well, when they get their new tax bill, it will jog their memory

and they're not going to be happy, especially knowing that 1/3 of that bill is for absolutely NOTHING--unless they regard a commission payment to the insurance companies for sticking it to them "something."

You might hope nobody will be talking about health care "reform" before 11/10, but you got a rude surprise coming.

[Bluenorthwest]

17. You do remember that last election wound up being about

issues that the candidates themselves were unable to predict. Obama and company thought it would all be about Iraq. McCain actually called the economy 'sound' on the morning of the collapse. This means that neither Party, and none of the 'strategists' or 'advisers' being paid millions saw the economic collapse WHILE it was happening, mere weeks from election day.
So when a random poster makes a declaration about what next year's election will be about, I think, well, if Axelrod and Plouffe can not predict 6 weeks in advance, then I doubt your year out predictions have much merit.
I personally think the GOP is going to work that 'forced to buy products' thing to the hilt, and that they will happily be pointing out all the bad parts of the 'reform' bill, of which there are plenty, so many that my own Senator's explanation of why he voted for it contained as much 'I don't like' as it did 'I do like' and his yes vote was not a thing he felt strongly about at all. Said he was mourning not celebrating. So that is one ball of glory there, those who voted for it don't really like it, those who voted against it did so in order to say later that they voted against it. Those who voted yes will not be able to defend that vote, for they agree that much of the law is not what they or their voters wanted.
This bill is about family, money, life and death. No one will be forgetting any of this. This issue is not like other issues. This one comes with a monthly dollar amount people will be handing for pure profit of others. That will not be forgotten.

[Umbral]

18. Yeah, I'm sure the Republicans will just forget all about it.

The health care bill will fill many pages of their never-ending litany of bullshit.

[totodeinhere]

20. I disagree. Health care will always be an issue.

In the fall of 2010, who among us won't either have a health issue ourselves or have a relative or friend with a serious health issue?

Besides that, the way this bill is set up, many provisions of the bill will kick in gradually over time. The incremental nature of the bill will keep it on our minds indefinitely.

[jonnyblitz]

21. wishful thinking on your part. nt

[billyoc]

22. Sure we will, "Why aren't the Unions supporting the Democrats this election cycle?"

Oh, yeah, that's right, they taxed the living fuck out of them to pay for the insurance cartel bailout.

[TheKentuckian]

23. Right...

Even if you're correct (and I doubt you are, even if it isn't the central theme of nonsense it will be on the list) it doesn't make it alright to pass a crappy bill because real lives and real money are in play here.

I mean we're talking about the Republicans aka the same bunch that ran against "Hanoi Jane" till freaking 2000. They don't drop talking points no matter how old or disproven. They're still running against FDR for crying out loud.

[JVS]

24. HAHAHAHAAHA!

By having the kick in date start in 2014, HCR will be discussed a lot until then and after then.