Transforming Anti-Obama Care Debate to Pro-Liberty Health Reform

I’m a little late in posting, but I recommend to anyone who wants to stay intelligently attuned to the ongoing health care reform debate, please take a listen to my recent iVoices podcast interview with Brian Schwartz (click the play button):

Both in the podcast and in a new Patient Power posting, Brian explains how the current medical insurance system suffers from too much regulation already and how insurance companies can gain more credibility in the debate. Speaking of the debate…

Conn Carroll at the Heritage Foundation this morning takes note of new polls from Pew and Gallup (not exactly right-wing outfits) to point out that our side is winning the debate, and that citizens speaking out at townhall meetings is making a difference in convincing our fellow citizens.

Another reason? More and more people checking out the Independence Institute’s excellent new health reform video, of course.

But persistence is needed. We should keep turning out to townhall meetings as the opportunities present themselves. Do you want to go to a townhall, but need some ideas about what to ask your elected representatives? The State Policy blog points readers to a list of 20 thoughtful and pointed questions you can borrow from the Intellectual Activist.

Finally, in Tuesday’s Wall Street Journal, Whole Foods CEO John Mackey offers eight specific health care reforms that challenge the status quo by moving “toward less government control and more individual empowerment” — the opposite direction of Obama Care (H/T Mr. Bob).

Many of the ideas Mackey brings forward are hardly original. They’ve been published and advocated before — in many cases by thoughtful young GOP leaders, such as Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal and Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan.

But of course because Republicans are in the minority across the board at the national level, no one is obligated to pay attention to their ideas. The Democrats have set the terms of the debate, which makes it all the more sad that they also are losing the debate with the middle of America.

The pathetic “Party of No” retort we hear more and more from the defenders of expanded government intervention in health care exposes the weakness of their arguments and their failure to persuade the public. Michael Barone explains this phenomenon well in a brilliant Rasmussen commentary today. Money quote:

In these circumstances, the Republicans have been winning the battle for public opinion and, more importantly, for public enthusiasm — in sharp contrast to 2008. Democrats complain that Republicans have no alternatives on health care or other issues. Actually some of them do, but no one is paying any more attention to them than people did to Democratic proposals four years ago, when Republicans held the White House and congressional majorities.

The exit poll showed that though the Republican label had lost support since 2004, conservatives did not lose their edge over liberals. The health-care debate has shown that the economic distress caused by the financial crisis and recession has not, at least so far, moved significant numbers of Americans to change their views on the proper balance between markets and government.

I certainly hope Barone is correct. But we have a long way to go. While felt more earnestly in these challenging times, the campaign for liberty never ends….