Krugman: "If Obama gets nomination, universal health care just won't happen"

[Proud2BAmurkin]

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/04/opinion/04krugman.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin

[DJ13]

1. LOL

:nopity:

:eyes:

[Bolo Boffin]

3. You LOL?

But while it’s easy to see how the Clinton plan could end up being eviscerated, it’s hard to see how the hole in the Obama plan can be repaired. Why? Because Mr. Obama’s campaigning on the health care issue has sabotaged his own prospects.

You see, the Obama campaign has demonized the idea of mandates — most recently in a scare-tactics mailer sent to voters that bears a striking resemblance to the “Harry and Louise” ads run by the insurance lobby in 1993, ads that helped undermine our last chance at getting universal health care.

If Mr. Obama gets to the White House and tries to achieve universal coverage, he’ll find that it can’t be done without mandates — but if he tries to institute mandates, the enemies of reform will use his own words against him.

If you combine the economic analysis with these political realities, here’s what I think it says: If Mrs. Clinton gets the Democratic nomination, there is some chance — nobody knows how big — that we’ll get universal health care in the next administration. If Mr. Obama gets the nomination, it just won’t happen.

Plug your ears all you want today, because Krugman is exactly right and you know it. They will use his own words against him.

[Usrename]

8. What is the purpose of mandating that we buy this stuff anyway?

I don't see the up side, except maybe for maintaining the status quo for the industry.

I like the idea of having the government just provide the coverage, without the middle-man, if they want it universal.

But hey, that's just me. It seems like more scheming is possible for the insurance companies. What is their downside?

These kind of schemes should fail, if you ask me. But then again, maybe they won't abuse the system to screw us.

[Fredda Weinberg]

11. Krugman spoke to people who crunched the numbers. When you

mandate in everyone who's currently healthy and unlikely to voluntarily get insurance, the per enrollee cost drops by almost half.

[QC]

22. You don't need numbers when you have HOPE!!!!! n/t

[pnwmom]

14. HRC's not mandating private insurance. Government-run plans like Medicare

are included among the options under her plan.

Clinton (and Edwards, who had much the same plan) has acknowledged that the private insurers may have trouble competing on a cost basis with the government plan, which won't be trying to make a profit -- and that is fine with her. If the private insurers can't compete with a well-run government plan, then they can leave the business.

[joshcryer]

19. Which is why this is the pathway to single-payer.

The government plans will be significantly better over time, and it will shut down all but the most efficient market based insurance companies.

[Egnever]

2. Wow krugmans having a meltdown too?

[pnwmom]

16. No, he's using his math skills and his brain. n/t

[neutron]

20. Krugman is the most Respected Economist in America

But he doesn't have the "charisma" so I guess what he thinks
don't count for much with Obamaniacs.

He totally fucked up his bill to protect his own district against
Radioactive Leakage from a nearby Power Plant.

Instead, he got paid hundresds of thousands of dollars by tne Nuke
people to . . . PROTECT THEM!

This was on the front page of yesterday's times.

LA is about to give us one mediocre dude.

[joshcryer]

4. P2BA you just split the discussion between two topics.

And you spammed a post similar to the Obama supporters for no reason. You can be better than that, bro.

[Proud2BAmurkin]

5. dude the first post was a mydd roundup!

[joshcryer]

9. I think I understand what happened, problem is, most of the Krugman stuff is in that other one. :(

I had quite a few good talking points going there. Probably way too late to edit now, though.

[McCamy Taylor]

6. UnitedHealth will sleep soundly, I guess.

[eridani]

7. It won't happen if any corporation funded candidate gets the presidency--

--UNLESS we push hard for it from below. Corporation candidates are all we have left now.

[OHdem10]

10. Smart Man, that Krugman --wondered when someone would

wake up.

[Helga Scow Stern]

12. Hallelujah. n/t

[jberryhill]

13. Wow - You mean Hillary will be stripped of her ability to work on legislation in the Senate?

What crap.

[pnwmom]

15. If the President doesn't back it, universal health care won't get through

the Senate.

The President is going to have to fight for it. This is my main problem with Obama now. Edwards and Clinton have plans that will cover everybody, even those with preexisting conditions. Obama is willing to leave a portion of the population uncovered.

[jberryhill]

21. I'm with Biden on this one...

I sincerely doubt the specifics of any proposal are as important as the fact that nobody has had one to work with in ages. This notion that we are likely to wind up with either Clinton's or Obama's current proposal as the health care program is absurd. I don't know why we have become so timid as a people not even to try, and to then tinker with different ideas.

[girl gone mad]

17. And if Clinton gets the nom, single payer will never happen. n/t

[MrRobotsHolyOrders]

18. Krugman: "If Obama gets nomination...

we will be forced to form post-apocalyptic gangs, salvaging what we can from the husk of our once noble nation."

Paul Krugman has lost his shit. It's starting to get embarrassing.

[QC]

23. Yeah, because anyone who has doubts about Obama is crazy at best

and racist at worst.

I know because I read it on DU.

[MrRobotsHolyOrders]

24. Touchy much?

I didn't imply either of those things... well, maybe crazy. His columns certainly seem to indicate it.