The current health-care bill has serious drawbacks, and there's still a long way to go before any real change is passed. But the public option opt-out choice might just be cleverly hidden political genius.
Join me below the fold for my brief argument.
Remember the furor surrounding those Reep governors who chose (or merely threatened to choose) to refuse the bailout funds? They were viewed by many as withholding help from those in financial need, and of standing in the way of progress and change. This largely defined Reep governors as members of the Party of NO.
Opting out of the health-care public option could be even more politically toxic.
Any governor or legislature that decides to opt out could be viewed (most likely will be viewed) as political eugenicists, choosing to throw to the wolves those among their own residents who cannot afford private health insurance.
My first instinct is to wonder: Who could possibly be so callous as to announce to their own constituents that their particular state government doesn't care about the suffering of resident, in any situation? Then I quickly realize that that's a rhetorical question. We all know the answer is Any Given Republican.
I suspect that any governor or legislature that tries to opt out will be vilified, cast as unfeeling, uncaring Scrooges who care more for their political donors and/or their own full pockets than for those who might be suffering.
On the up-side (just as with the bailout refusers) we'll know exactly who the bad guys are. And that's just something else we can flog them with.