Health Bill Won't Help In Next Election

The Democrats are on the verge of passing what I will jokingly refer to as a health care reform bill. I say that because all the real reform has been removed from it, and all that is left is some minor tinkering with the current health care system. The Democrats, who had promised us real health care reform during the campaign leading up to the last election, have let the Republicans and some blue dogs rip the heart out of the bill.

Although what is left is really not worth voting for, and actually would make things worse than they are now (not to mention providing private insurance with a gigantic payday), Democrats seem to think that if they don't pass it they will be hurt in the next election. So they are going to bite the bullet, pass this monstrosity and try to convince voters that they have actually reformed something.

That makes me sad, because it means that the Democrats have joined the Republicans in thinking the voters are stupid and easily fooled. They are not. The voters can recognize this bill for the failure that it truly is.

The popularity of Democrats in Congress has been falling, but passing this bill will not help that -- in fact, it will further hurt the Democrats chances in 2010. Voters do not like the Republicans and their objection to health care reform at every turn. But they are even more angered by the Democrats failure to fight tooth and nail for the reform that was promised.

If the Democrats had fought hard and been defeated, the voters would understand (and probably would have sent some more Democrats to Congress to help). But how can anyone respect a party that makes a promise and then will not fight to keep that promise? This is why the Democrats were removed from power last time -- because the public saw them as gutless wimps that were too timid to fight for their beliefs and ideals.

The Democrats are making the same mistake again. As long as they're too spineless to fight for what they promised, there is no reason to vote for them. Democrats seem to think voters will vote for them just because they are not Republicans, and that is a big mistake. Given a choice between a fighter they do not agree with and a wimp they do agree with, most voters will vote for the fighter. No one wants to be ruled by a party of wimps.

Knuckling under to your political opponents will do nothing except get those opponents elected, and that seems to be exactly what the Democrats are trying to do. I have never voted for a Republican in my entire life, but I have voted for a third party or independent from time to time, when I was too disgusted with the wimps and blue dogs offered by the Democrats.

I am fast reaching that point again. Unless the Democrats can show me they have a backbone and are willing to fight for progressive ideals, I will have to assume they are the party of wimps and blue dogs and either find a third party or stay home in 2010.

Passing this terrible health care bill, and then lying and telling me it's real health care reform will not get my vote. Americans have been put in a bad situation -- they have a choice between the Party of "No" and the Party of "Can't". Neither is acceptable.