[zeugma]

I thought it was pretty good as well. I think Ted did much better in this than he did in any of the presidential debates. I suspect that being less rehearsed is better for him. One thing I was surprised about was that he never came out at any point and described in fundamental terms what 'insurance' actually is, especially when Bernie was ranting about "pre-existing conditions". You buy insurance to protect your interests when you are healthy because it is a prudent thing to do. You don't suddenly go out and get insurance once you get sick and expect the insurance company to pay your bills. This is the key element that Bernie and other leftists just simply don't get.

Personally, the one thing I'd like to see happen with health insurance is that it be disconnected from being something that one gets as a 'perk' with employment. It should be something you buy, like car or house insurance, and you have all your life. The fact that health insurance is something most people get through work is a historical accident that is a relic of the post-war boom, when companies were trying to entice new workers. It is this, more than anything that needs to change.

[aquila48]

I agree with everything you said.

Of course Cruz is well aware of your first point, but was reluctant to explicitly go there because he felt he would lose it with that audience and the media would use it as headline the next day. “Cruz Against Covering Preexisting Conditions”.

This is an example of a more general political axiom. “Never ever provide a benny you don’t intend to maintain in the long run because you will never be able to take it away politically.”

Of course Republicans had nothing to do with providing it in the first place, still I think they’re stuck with it.