The current Congress has a achieved a great distinction. It is the Congress that has achieved the least in American history. For those who believe government is bad, that is a great accomplishment. For those who know government, we the people, serves a purpose above and beyond rhetoric, it is a distinct failure.
In 2014 Americans irrespective of Party affiliation must decide who best will serve them. They must decide who best serves their values. In past elections those ‘value’ voters were in vogue. Nothing mattered to them other than a single issue. It could have been marriage equality, women’s reproductive rights, social programs, and many others.
Politicians could rile up the their respective bases by telling them they were going to kill abortion laws or stop marriage equality. Because of where Americans’ values were, it would be a slam-dunk for Republicans because of the carnality of value voting.
Obamacare, 2014 Election Sleeper
When politicians cannot tell you specifically what they have done or will do for you, it puts their reelection or election in jeopardy. When a politician can be legitimately tagged as one who will take away a specific earned benefit, an inalienable right, or anything that improves ones quality of life, then that politicians will be defeated.
One notices that Obamacare (The Affordable Care Act) is not mentioned much by Republicans. Why? Because it has been immensely successful. This is not hyperbole. I use it. My wife who has Lupus, a pre-existing condition uses it. My daughter who was in college used it, though now she has great coverage with her own job whose rates went down because of Obamacare.
People’s aversion to the word Obamacare persist sort of like muscle memory or the inability to simply say they allowed evil charlatans to convince them of a fallacy. But try to take Obamacare away and it will be fatal. You see it does not only hurt the poor. It hurts the small business owner and the price of EVERYONE’s health insurance. It takes away free screenings and free birth control. Simply, it takes a good benefits away.
In that light, Democrats in a tepid manner at first are not only defending their vote for Obamacare. They are touting it as if to attempt to get their Republican opponent to engage. Mark Pryor’s (D-AR) ad in Arkansas, a reliably red state is probative. He has followed the lead of Kay Hagan (D-NC) who has not been shy for her support of Obamacare.
No one is quite talking about it yet. Obamacare will be the sleeper this election that will awaken to carry many of its supporters over the finish line.