Democrats are preparing to counter-attack the Republicans’ vote to repeal the healthcare reform. Specifically the Democrats want to “plan hometown attacks on many of the 62 House Republicans representing districts President Barack Obama carried on 2008, according to a Politico article.
The Democratic National Committee is monitoring tweets and interviews by the targeted Republicans and has begun to push for news coverage of the statements back home. Democrats plan press events hosted by state parties, including appearances by “real people who would lose care if the law were overturned.”
The reason for this is the Democrats want to prove the Republicans care more about “a futile political game for partisan gain” rather than work on cooperation or more current legislation.
Though the same could be said about the Democrats’ attempts to undermine the Republicans, at least they make a good point. The Republicans have been in office less than a month, and they are already showing America they haven’t changed.
Undermining the other party’s legislative goals and ideas is fine within limits when you’re the minority party, but the Republicans have the House now. The home fight might be a good tactic for the Republicans, but I doubt the Democrats can pull it off. Worse, trying to could make them look like stooping to the Republican’s level, which could have long term consequences.
It’s too late to fight the Republicans on the home front. They must be fought in the halls of Congress. The Republicans can prove on their incompetence and stubbornness on their own. The Democrats need to focus on doing their jobs.
If the Republicans attempt to repeal health care, outvote them. Prove the system, though flawed, can still work when the system is used properly and responsibly. The voters can decide the fight on the home front on their own. It will take longer than a direct attack, but it has a stronger long-term effect.
Using modern methods for the attack is an interesting demonstration the Democrats are more contemporary than the Republicans. If the Democrats do go through with their attack on the home front, at least they have technology.
What they don’t have is the fear-mongering and hate-spreading power of the Republicans. The Democrats are playing the Republicans game, and that could backfire badly for the Democrats. Just another reason to avoid the home front all together.
In the long term, preparing for a fight in Congress and ignoring the home front for now would be a good PR move for future elections.
Whatever choice the Democrats make regarding Republican attacks on health care could easily have strong repercussions for the next election. Not to mention the next two years.
The Democrats chose the field of battle. Unfortunately the opposition has the advantage. How the Democrats defend health care depends on them, but at least one thing has come from this.
We know the Republicans haven’t changed very much, and Democrats like to get into battles where the opposition has the advantage.
