Republicans Poised To Take A Huge Gamble

The Republicans won the last election because the American public was disgusted at both parties for their inability to work together to fix the economy and start some significant job creation. Because of this disgust many people stayed at home on election day in 2010 -- except for the Republican's teabagger base (who were energized by their humiliating defeat in the 2008 election), who voted in large numbers.

The Republicans seem to have misunderstood this and since the election have been acting as though they had been given a mandate by the American people to return to their disastrous trickle-down economic policies. They think the election results showed they should make massive cuts to many necessary government programs (except, of course, for tax cuts and subsidies for the corporations and the rich and cuts to the Defense Department). They have even been emboldened to start talk of cutting benefits and raising the retirement age for Social Security.

So far, they have not taken any action on Social Security (considered to be the third rail of American politics) and seem to know they must tread lightly with that enormously popular program. But they are preparing to make a mistake every bit as dangerous as a frontal attack on Social Security. They are going to try to abolish the Medicare program.

Medicare is the government program that provides health insurance for all American citizens 65 years-old or older. The Republicans have never liked the Medicare program, because their constituency, the rich and the corporate interests, have no real need of it. Now they think they have a real opportunity to destroy it.

Rep. Paul Ryan, the appointed budget guru of the House Republicans, will be introducing a plan this week to abolish Medicare for those who are currently under age 55. Instead of being enrolled in the Medicare program when they reach the age of 65, the Republicans want to give them a government voucher (although the Republicans hesitate to use the word "voucher") and force them to purchase private insurance.

This insanity would force elderly Americans to once again be at the mercy of the giant private insurance companies. These companies would not be required to cover all treatment deemed necessary by a doctor (as Medicare does), and if a procedure was thought to be too expensive the companies could just refuse to pay for it -- thus denying that treatment for an elderly patient.

It is also very likely that the elderly insurance offered by the private companies would be very expensive, and probably out of reach for many of the elderly even with the vouchers. Medicare covers all the elderly equally, so that eveyone gets medical care. That will not be true when the elderly are required to purchase their own private insurance. If the voucher doesn't cover the entire cost, many elderly Americans will be forced to do without insurance -- and therefore, do without proper medical care.

The Medicare program has worked well for elderly Americans (even when the Republicans have tried to strangle it by refusing to fund it properly) and it is very popular with most Americans. Recent polls have shown that Americans do not want the budget balanced by cutting either Medicare or Social Security -- and this is true of more than 70% of the population.

The Republicans are taking a huge gamble in attacking and trying to abolish Medicare. They think they can convince the American people that the country just cannot afford the Medicare program. I think they are wrong. Instead of bringing the people around to their point of view, I believe they will actually drive away one of their valuable voting groups.

In both the 2008 and 2010 elections, one of the most reliable demographic groups the Republicans had was those over the age of 65. A majority of elderly citizens voted Republican in those elections, but that could (and probably will) change if the Republicans try to abolish Medicare. They even stand to lose some of their teabagger base (since every teabagger demonstration has signs warning government to keep their hands off of Medicare).

The Republicans are taking a huge gamble in trying to abolish Medicare. While many people support their efforts at budget cutting, most people do not want Medicare cut or abolished (or Social Security). They are doing this to convince their teabagger base that they are serious about budget-cutting, but they could well be cutting their own throats by doing it (and may actually lose some of their base with this crazy manuever).

I personally hope they try this insane political move. There are enough Democrats in the Senate to stop it (and I'm sure the president would veto it). But it would give the Democrats some great campaign material for the 2012 election. If the Democrats are smart they will repeat over and over again in the 2012 election that the Republicans want to abolish Medicare and cut Social Security. Could there be a better campaign issue?

The Republicans are not just taking a gamble with this silly notion -- they are taking a very stupid gamble.