Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Romney Battle Obtuseness Regarding Health Care Reform

Obtuseness as a Noun is defined as the quality or state of lacking intelligence or quickness of mind. In other words -  bone headedness, denseness, dim-wittedness, doltishness, dopiness, dullness dumbness, fatuity, foolishness, mindlessness, oafishness, senselessness, slowness, stupidness,  witlessness.

Ever since ObamaCare was passed a year ago, the nation’s political pundits have been having an on-going debate regarding the role Mitt Romney and the health care reform plan he enacted in 2006, while he was Governor of Massachusetts. Critics of Romney cite the plan’s use of an individual mandate requiring residents to purchase and maintain health insurance coverage, as one of the main reason’s Romney will face trouble in a possible 2012 presidential run.

In battling critics on this issue, one can’t help but feel like The Shawshank Redemption's Andy Dufresne. Wrongly convicted, speaking to the warden, who inhibits his chance of proving himself innocent, sparks Andy to ask, "How can you be so obtuse."

This debate has become tiresome and will no doubt cause the issue to lose whatever political punch it may have had. The anti-Romneyites problem is, the criticism rings hollow, since Romney is not advocating a Massachusetts style solution for the nation. In fact, quite the opposite.

Needless to say Romney critics spin his continued steadfast Federalism defense of his plan, in any number of negative ways, depending on the prevailing political narrative. First he was a RINO for looking at a Government solution, which ceded popularity to the “It’s breaking the Massachusetts budget” line pedaled for many months. Now detractors are trying to hang the inclusion and use of a “Socialist” mandate around Romney’s neck. They also say he is running away from his plan, despite Romney’s recent statement about his pride in enacting the law. After being tarred and feathered for some time as a “Big Government, Big Spending and Liberty Stealing Socialist RINO” – one can’t be to sure what is left to attack Romney on in regards to health care. Perhaps it will come down to the brand of pen he used when signing the bill into law.

Damn that Scheaffer!

So much has been written about this issue; one just feels like throwing their hands in the air, saying - "Enough already!" Besides, there is no need to re-hash the points again in this post. Much information about this debate can be found here, here and here.

Despite these discussions and postings, there still remain folks out there who can’t seem to get their collective heads around Romney’s role iin health care reform and his big picture view.

So for those folks who suffer from “RomneyCare Obtuseness” – a condition prevalent among those citizens reliant solely on Talk Radio talking points to form their opinions – please read – in its entirety – the Newsweek interview with Governor Romney from April 2010. In it, you’ll find much information regarding his intent and how he views health care reform.

Hopefully this prescription helps alleviate some of the suffering.

11 comments:

Evelio Perez said...

Nice one Doug, last time during the 08 primaries, Romney's problem was his Mormon religion, now it's the Massachusetts health-care system that he helped put in place.
Does it really matter about Mormonism or Romney-Care to some of these people?
All of them Huck's Army, the Ron Paul LOONS, Sara Palin supporters and the Democrats want to win the White House next time around, and to do so they all would have to defeat Mitt Romney.
They all know it and will do anything and everything to damage the man they and the Liberals fear the most if they have any hopes of winning........

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the great info, Doug. Of course, people who don't want to know the truth won't bother to educate themselves.

That's okay though. We're on solid ground in our defense of Romney and his plan.

-Martha

larry said...

I wonder if some of these anti-Romney folks who blame Romney for Obamacare realize how stupid they sound?

Anonymous said...

"I wonder if some of these anti-Romney folks who blame Romney for Obamacare realize how stupid they sound?"

Stupid is as stupid does!

zeke

Ann said...

Very good post Doug,

I swear that some of these Romney critics, just like to hear themselves talk.

The only people who have any legitimate reason to complain, would be those in MA that it affects.

They seem to like it just fine.

ConMan said...

Doug,
Your problem is that you deal in facts, logic, realities, and make to much sense.

These Romneycare whiners won't listen to anything that interferes with their agenda.

And that is to do what ever they can to fry to destroy Romney by blaming Obamacare on him.

They will find out soon enough that their efforts were in vain.

hamaca said...

I don't have a problem with people questioning RomneyCare. It's significant in it's impact on MA and is one of Romney's main accomplishments as Governor there.

Thing is, there are those who have genuine concerns that it might be indicative of less-than-conservative tendencies--there is so much information out there from many different perspectives. They happen to be wrong, but they are not unreasonable.

On the other hand, there are those who gleefully oppose it simply because Romney is not their guy/gal and that is the only reason they oppose it. They opposed it from the moment they heard about it and before they knew anything about it. Any evidence or argument that puts it in a positive light (from a conservative perspective) is discarded, whereas any argument against it is gladly accepted without question.

It's these latter people who are not that credible. Unfortunately, they exist in all camps (including Romney's) and do the same with respect to other candidates.

In fact, they are among us.

hamaca said...

Here's another source of confusion. Many Romney supporters would not want RomneyCare in their own state. It wouldn't work for many reasons.

However, when opponents suggest that mandates are liberal or worse, Romney supporters often try to explain that this may not necessarily be the case. Then, it's assumed that all Romney supporters are in favor of mandates anywhere, which, of course, is not true--not even of Romney himself.

BOSMAN said...

hamaca,

I'm a life long, born in Boston, resident of MA.

I am happy with the mandate in my state. WHY?
Because Health Insurance is necessary.

I didn't like the idea of people using emergency rooms for free health care at TAX PAYERS (ME) expense. Especially those who can afford it.

The fact that 98.1% are insured and 99+% of kids are insured now, makes me feel all warm and fuzzy.

What makes me feel even better, is when I here someone complain about having to purchase insurance, when they don't want to, yet can afford it. That makes me feel warmer and fuzzyer.

As to mandates in other states, I DON'T LIVE IN THOSE OTHER STATES, so I don't know. If I did live in one of those other states and it had a freeloader problem, I'd be for it. But only if I lived there.

SO, That's why I'm against a NATIONAL mandate and for a MA mandate.

Let individual states figure it out for themselves.

NO One NATIONAL PLAN shoved down the throats of all Americans.

BOSMAN said...

BTW,

Doug, GREAT POST!

OhioJOE said...

"I wonder if some of these anti-Romney folks who blame Romney for Obamacare realize how stupid they sound?" Okaaaaaay, jumping the Sharks again. If anything is stupid, it is the tired old Defence of MAcare. This is a non-starter for most Conservatives. In away it is rather Entertaining watching people trying to defend this non sense.