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Carville: O-Care a winning bet for Dems
The Hill ^ | 04/01/14 | James Carville

Posted on 04/02/2014 9:06:59 AM PDT by Kenny

Earlier this year I took to the pages of The Hill to encourage Democratic strategists to focus on what conditions would look like in November, and not be demoralized by what they look like in February and March. I pushed them to act like they were running the fast break in the NCAA tournament and to throw the lead pass, and to have some confidence that conditions would improve. And it sure does seem, if you look at the latest ABC/Washington Post poll, that the receiver of that pass has moved somewhat.

Focusing on the biggest issue, ObamaCare, we can see in the ABC/Post poll significant gains in support of the healthcare reform law. Although the electorate is split with 49 percent supporting the healthcare law and 48 percent opposing, those are much better numbers than what we saw in November, when an ABC/Washington Post survey found only 40 percent in support of the law and 57 percent in opposition.

Just like two weeks ago, the current numbers are probably going to change, so you have to continue to focus on the trajectory and the destination, which is November. How mobilized will Democratic support be for ObamaCare then?

While the numbers in the ABC/Post poll are looking up and the trajectory is looking better, let’s not get too optimistic without seeing the defense when we throw that lead pass.

After Alex Sink was sunk in the Florida special congressional race in February, my fellow Democratic strategists went back to their get-out-the-vote strategy and feared another 1994 or 2010 landslide election for the GOP. Well, Democratic voters might now be motivated to stand by the administration’s top legislative achievement more than ever — the same ABC/Post poll found that Democratic support for ObamaCare has reached 76 percent, which is up 11 percentage points from January. My fellow Democrats feared we didn’t have a motivating issue ... well, Republican opposition to the law, to no one’s surprise, is at 78 percent.

I like being on the side of healthcare consumer. I think that is a winning argument for Democrats.

This past weekend was the Louisiana Derby, and with the Kentucky Derby on the horizon, I have been making some bets lately. One bet I made recently was with my friend Bill O’Reilly at Fox News, about the future and fate of ObamaCare. He gave the reform law a 25 percent chance of success, and among his colleagues, that might make him the most optimistic. Even on his show I was a critic of the Affordable Care Act rollout. I even called it a “disaster,” which it was. But I took that bet. And now, could somebody say the Congressional Budget Office, the federal government, and administration healthcare officials got the number of enrollees pretty right?

Well, here is a shout-out to those who don’t often get a shout-out: great job.


TOPICS: Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: abortion; deathpanels; democratcare; donkeycare; jackasscare; obamacare; zerocare
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To: dps.inspect

With all the death and destruction from the mud-slides in Washington, how come the President has not visited the location? Does he hate those people?


21 posted on 04/02/2014 9:32:19 AM PDT by edcoil (Not a single republican was ever a slave owner. They were all democrats.)
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To: Kenny

I guess people are surprised that the media is lying in order to cover for Obama.

And I suppose they’ll back off the, “oh just sit down and shut up and let Obamacare implode and we’ll take over”.

Mmm. With Rand “oh yes, Senator Cruz is on the wrong path with the defunding idea” Paul.

But they’ll be quiet about it.

Idiots.


22 posted on 04/02/2014 9:33:03 AM PDT by stanne
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To: Biggirl

Its a winning bet in that they just created another batch of Gov’t parasites dependent on the Government Party, regardless of the cost.


23 posted on 04/02/2014 9:35:40 AM PDT by PGR88
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To: MrB

I do not know one person who has even signed up for it. Do you?


24 posted on 04/02/2014 9:35:42 AM PDT by formosa
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To: formosa

No, I don’t either.
But I haven’t even HEARD of anyone, anywhere, that’s better off than they were (if they had a policy before).


25 posted on 04/02/2014 9:37:54 AM PDT by MrB (The difference between a Humanist and a Satanist - the latter admits whom he's working for)
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To: Kenny

Gosh it sure is a winner Mr. Carville!

We sure hope you don’ use dat ol’ Obamacare against us next election! You would sure win if you did.

You can do anything to us just don’ run on Obamacare!


26 posted on 04/02/2014 9:38:34 AM PDT by Mr. K (If you like your constitution, you can keep it...Period. PALIN/CRUZ 2016)
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To: Kenny

And when the actual numbers of new and old “insureds” comes out, they’ll all have egg on their ugly azz faces

Esp Serpent Carville


27 posted on 04/02/2014 9:40:16 AM PDT by A_Former_Democrat (Hey 2008, we told you so)
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To: Kenny

“O-care a winning bet for Dems”

Sure it is, James. Sure it is. And I hope all your Dem buddies running in November take your words to heart and spend all of their precious propaganda bandwidth touting their instrumental vote for this wonderful law and/or their objection to repealing and replacing it. In fact, given what a great thing Obamacare is for the Dems, I really don’t understand why they are so upset about all of the Americans for Prosperity TV ads right now giving the Dems full credit for Obamacare. One would think the Dems would be jumping with joy about those ads, since they so clearly show the role of the Dems in jamming Obamacare down the throats of the people. I mean, really, these ads are just explaining to the people what a winning issue Obamacare is, pretty much like you are recommending, right?


28 posted on 04/02/2014 9:41:36 AM PDT by catnipman (Cat Nipman: Vote Republican in 2012 and only be called racist one more time!)
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To: PGR88

But also it can also fire up enough angry voters against Obamacare and create a factor in the Dems losing the Senate.


29 posted on 04/02/2014 9:47:56 AM PDT by Biggirl (“Go, do not be afraid, and serve”-Pope Francis)
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To: A_Former_Democrat
when the actual numbers of new and old “insureds” comes out

Only the actual numbers never will come out.

Who's going to put them out? Not the Democrats. Not the insurance companies, whose lifeblood now depends on unending flow of taxpayer dollars.

The Republicans? Come on.

IMO we now live in the early stages of a soviet-style goverment, with enrollment numbers always reaching the desired number, with five-year plans always exceeding hopes, with joy and prosperity and good news never ending, until it does.

30 posted on 04/02/2014 9:49:56 AM PDT by Fightin Whitey
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To: Fightin Whitey

O ye of so little faith

A campaign issue like this? Self interest will drive the pols and certain parts of the media to pursue this. And the ins cos are going to lose their asses, they’ll sing.


31 posted on 04/02/2014 9:52:15 AM PDT by A_Former_Democrat (Hey 2008, we told you so)
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To: Biggirl
But also it can also fire up enough angry voters against Obamacare and create a factor in the Dems losing the Senate.

....to Republicans who will come in and ultimately do nothing about it.

32 posted on 04/02/2014 9:52:34 AM PDT by PGR88
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To: Kenny

So the Red Skull thinks this is a good idea? he was also the one holding down juanita broderick.


33 posted on 04/02/2014 9:58:19 AM PDT by longfellow (Bill Maher, the 21st hijacker.)
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To: piytar; Kenny; All
I gotta go with piytar here.

Normally the issues that people hear about and vote on are these nebulous things far off in the distance in someone elses back yard.

Not so this issue. All they gotta do is look at their bank books. They have have to remember if their doctor is the one they've been seeing for 25 years, or some new old slug or young squirt that they never heard of before.

This issue is something EVERYONE can understand.

I read one guys discussion of facebook's healthcare.gov site:

Gonna axe the vacations.

Gonna axe his and the wife's once a year weekend absolute splurge for their anniversary.

Kids braces are gonna have to be put off.

No. This is an issue with some BITE! If the Party of Stupid has the balls to use it as it should be used!

Which I figure is a 50/50 chance.

34 posted on 04/02/2014 9:58:44 AM PDT by HeartlandOfAmerica (An army of deer led by a lion is more to be feared than an army of lions, led by a deer.)
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To: A_Former_Democrat

The media? Really?

Where have they been so far?

Where have they been on the economy? Where have they been on the disastrous state of race relations in the U.S., or the culture in general? Where are they on the smoking ruins of U.S. foreign policy?

Where is your media on Obama’s lies, on Benghazi, on the IRS hounding conservatives, on the knockout game, on black mobs in the streets?

Who did you hear disputing the preposterous “7.l million” enrollees figure yesterday, beyond the few conservative outlets that you and I turn to?

The media? You mean the serious conservative media that the great masses of America, young and old, turn to daily? Come, as I say, on.

I have faith, but not in ongoing political, social, educational and economic catastrophe that is the U.S. today.


35 posted on 04/02/2014 10:01:25 AM PDT by Fightin Whitey
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To: Kenny

He’s trying desperately to get fellow Demonicrats to “whistle past the graveyard!”


36 posted on 04/02/2014 10:01:35 AM PDT by SierraWasp (Bill Clinton, America's 1st Black PresidentÂ… Obama, IS the LAST!!!)
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To: SoFloFreeper

Yes.

Keep in mind that the ABC poll doesn’t use the terms ACA or Obamacare. It asks about support for the vague notion of govenment changes to healthcare.

It also includes a very broad sample. Not even just registered voters, let alone likely ones.


37 posted on 04/02/2014 10:01:54 AM PDT by tanknetter
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To: Kenny

Not in Kansas: http://www.breitbart.com/Breitbart-TV/2014/04/02/Report-Kansas-Hospital-Lays-Off-Employees-Due-to-ObamaCare

Not in Connecticut: http://www.nhregister.com/general-news/20140307/seniors-doctors-lawmakers-rail-against-unitedhealthcare-changes

Not in Oregon: http://www.nationalreview.com/human-exceptionalism/363473/oregon-tightens-duty-die-cancer-patients-wesley-j-smith

Not with union members: http://danfromsquirrelhill.wordpress.com/2013/09/24/obamacare-59/

Not with cancer patients: http://hotair.com/archives/2014/04/01/anti-obamacare-cancer-patient-attacked-by-reid-now-receiving-death-wishes-from-liberals/

Not in New York: http://legalinsurrection.com/2014/04/report-new-yorkers-forced-to-choose-between-groceries-and-obamacare/

Not in Vegas (but what happens in Vegas . . .): http://newsbusters.org/blogs/tom-blumer/2014/03/30/ap-ignores-why-vegas-culinary-workers-have-voted-strike-obamacare

Not with Hobby Lobby and other small businesses: http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2014/03/did_justice_kagan_embarrass_herself_during_the_hobby_lobby_oral_arguments.html

Not with the former employees of businesses killed by ObamaCare: http://legalinsurrection.com/2014/03/yankee-one-dollar-closing-remaining-stores-due-to-obamacare/ http://wnyt.com/article/stories/S3374998.shtml

Not with working Americans who get their 2015 ObamaCare prices just before the election: http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-obamacare-deadline-rates-20140330,0,5708594.story#axzz2xRpxE5pf

Not with faithful Catholics: http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/georgia-catholic-organizations-win-permanent-exclusion-from-obamacare-birth

I agree with SnakeHead - Democrats should run on ObamaCare, proudly boasting that they voted for it and that they will insist that the law be enforced by our friends in the IRS exactly as written.


38 posted on 04/02/2014 10:04:50 AM PDT by Pollster1 ("Shall not be infringed" is unambiguous.)
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To: Fightin Whitey

Ok but Im not going to endlessly debate with you because your mind is made up. Nevertheless:

You don’t watch Fox? They’ve been beating the crap out of commiecare? Even the “news” programs were skeptical of the numbers.

The polls? obambi is sinking like a rock? The Fraud formerly known as The Messiah? Give me a break, he’s poision

The pols? They’re running from The Fraud at the speed of lightning.

Where was Sebilius yesterday if this was such a great comeback?


39 posted on 04/02/2014 10:06:51 AM PDT by A_Former_Democrat (Hey 2008, we told you so)
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To: Kenny

I feel like I’m through the looking glass. Obamacare is a success? The lies, the constant lies, and the depth of the lies, it’s just demoralizing. Is there not one politician who will stand up and call a spade a spade and say we need to get rid of this abomination? I mean totally get rid of it.


40 posted on 04/02/2014 10:10:22 AM PDT by Rummyfan (Iraq: it's not about Iraq anymore, it's about the USA!)
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