Kathleen Parker December 3, 2013

By Kathleen Parker
December 3, 2013

 

As the government health-care Web site chugs along, the Obama administration has begun a counter-initiative to combatRepublican naysaying — and its weapons are of superior grade.

The bunker buster is positive messaging and a return to hope andchange. For Republicans, it’s whatever the opposite is. Despair andstagnation? Gloating and gloom?

“Obamacare” may be fraught withpotentially lethal problems, including the bungling of information aspeople sign up without any guarantee of privacy, but nothing is moretoxic than “this is going to be a disaster.” Every time Republicans slam on the brakes, Obama tosses coins and candy into the crowds.

Even if the president at times resembles Baghdad Bob, the Iraqi spokesman who said everything’s fine here as U.S. bombsexploded in the background, Republicans are the shock-and-awe gang withno plan for the day after.

Democrats have targeted the GOP’s softspot, which is a hard line on social services. Thus, when Republicanswant to drastically cut food stamps, it is a piece of cake (and not themoldy sort Marie Antoinette suggested the peasants eat) to designateconservatives as cruel and heartless.

When Republicans say thehealth-care plan is doomed, a train wreck, a disaster, etc. — and offerno hopeful options — they appear to be rooting only for failure.

This approach is a blessing for Democrats, who have responded by shining alight on success stories: the 25-year-old who gets to stay on hisparents’ insurance plan another year, the child or elderly parent with a preexisting condition who now can get insurance, the family who nevercould afford insurance and now can, thanks to . . . well, all those people who are now mandated to buy insurance of a
certain type or else.

Comparing approaches, President Obama is wearing love beads and planting flowers in the gun barrels of the Republican guard.

What Democrats know keenly — and Republicans seem never to learn — is thatpositive beats negative every time. Thus, we see MSNBC’s clever montageof Republican negativity: A series of unfriendly faces decrying theAffordable Care Act (ACA) with apocalyptic language. Which would anyeveryday American prefer? The healer or the doomsayer? The elves or theorcs?

This is not precisely reality, but perception drives policyas much as reality does. The key for Republicans is to drop the negative attacks and refocus energies on the positives of their plans. They have some, right?

It’s fine to note the objective fact that theemployer mandate/fine has restrained hiring and forced businesses todrop insurance for their employees. It’s also true that many Americansnavigating the exchanges are finding much-higher premiums andless-satisfactory policies. Other longer-term consequences includeinevitable cuts to Medicare benefits and tax increases, such as a 3.8 percent tax on capital gains, dividends and interest that are unrelated to health care.

The effect of these additional taxes is to stifle investments and savings,which would seem to be a priority for our Congress. If this isn’tpunitive toward those trying to create wealth, what is it? Or do we even care anymore?

It is also fact that the rocky rollout has createduncertainty and a lack of faith among businesses and consumers. Thecomputer system, now entering a new phase of glitchitude, has putimpatient Americans on prolonged “hold.” How long before they simplyhang up?

Then what? What alternative solutions are Republicans hiding behind their backs?

Frank Macchiarola, former Republican staff director of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee (and my patient guide through the ACA) proposes in a commentary, co-written with Republican former senator Kay Bailey Hutchison ofTexas, that the GOP lead with solutions rather than piling on criticism. The authors agree with Democrats’ goal to expand access to care,including to those with preexisting conditions. But the cure, theysuggest, is in targeted policy solutions rather than a one-size-fits-all approach.

Given the president’s low favorability rating thesedays — with 52 percent of voters saying they don’t trust him and60 percent disapproving of his handling of health care, according to last month’s Quinnipiac poll — Democrats are scurrying to shift attention from Republican opportunity to the hope formula that worked so well in the past.

The same aspirational attitude could work for Republicans, too, if they can stop shaking their heads long enough. “No” gets you nothing but nothing — and gloating floats no boats.

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