Research Briefing

Health Care Judgment Day May Still Be Approaching, But The Coming Story On Election Day Has Already Been Written

THOUGH ELECTION DAY IS STILL MONTHS AWAY, DEMOCRATS HAVE ALREADY THE HEARD HEALTH CARE STORY …

Democratic Consultant: “You Can't Be Out There Talking A Good Theme Like Deficit Reduction And Be Talking About A Massive, Giant, Social Experiment Like Health Care Out Of The Other Side Of Your Mouth.”

Dem Congressman: “[Democrats] are angry at the president, angry at the leaders in Congress, and angry at themselves that they didn't wake up and face the fact that we weren't moving in the right direction.”

“Democrats Can’t Stop The Infighting… Moderates Blame The Democratic Debacle On [President’s] ‘Massive Health Care Plan.’”

"It Is Impossible To Underestimate The Amount Of Damage That Health-Care Bill Did.”

Poll Shows Voters Want Congress To Do “Something Decidedly Modest And Incremental” On Health Care.

Voters’ Message To Washington: “Get Government Off Our Backs.”

Voters Sending “Clear Message To … Agent Of Change: Change Again - Or Risk Defeat…”

• “No more 1,342-page health care plans. Instead, a leaner, meaner set of moderate policies - tax cuts, spending cuts…”

“Democrats Might Have Fared Better … If They Had Embraced The Bipartisan Health-Care Compromise…”

Election Losses Should Force President “To Consider A More Moderate Approach To His Domestic Policy …”

• President Must “Scale Back His Ambitious Health Care Reform” In Hopes Of “Salvaging Any Substantial Semblance Of His Legislative Agenda.”

 “Then there's health. He overreached, putting together a proposal that was so bureaucratic and confusing as to scare off even people who shared his basic goal.”

• “Everything [the President] did energized another part of the conservative movement. … And the health-care debate confirmed all of the right's deepest suspicions.”

Health Care Plan Give “Republicans a hook to hang their most devastating charge: that he was a big spending liberal, just like all those other Democrats who preceded him.”

… BECAUSE IT WAS WRITTEN AFTER 1994 GOP LANDSLIDE

Democratic Consultant: “You Can't Be Out There Talking A Good Theme Like Deficit Reduction And Be Talking About A Massive, Giant, Social Experiment Like Health Care Out Of The Other Side Of Your Mouth.” “But a lot of Democratic strategists agree what happened Tuesday is many voters felt conned - that Clinton's ‘New Democrats’ were just old Democrats with new applause lines… ‘You can't be out there talking a good theme like deficit reduction and be talking about a massive, giant, social experiment like health care out of the other side of your mouth,’ says Democratic consultant Brian Lunde. ‘You can not be a new Democrat and an old Democrat at the same time.’” (Bill Nichols, “Back To Drawing Board For Wounded Democrats,” USA Today, 11/10/94)

“Democrats Can’t Stop The Infighting… Moderates Blame The Democratic Debacle On [President’s] ‘Massive Health Care Plan.’” “Even after a disastrous election, it seems Democrats can't stop the infighting… Just as President Clinton was offering his interpretation of Tuesday's voting, a Democratic senator was urging Republicans to help him defeat the next item on Clinton's agenda: a world trade agreement… And as moderates blamed the Democratic debacle on Clinton's massive health care plan and other liberal initiatives of his first two years…” (John King, “The Campaign Is Over - But Democratic Disunity Continues,” The Associated Press, 11/10/94)

"It Is Impossible To Underestimate The Amount Of Damage That Health-Care Bill Did.” “What voters want are signs that their elected officials can govern, said DLC President Al From… ‘It is impossible to underestimate the amount of damage that health-care bill did in shaping Bill Clinton as a big-government proponent,’ From said.” (Robin Toner, “Health Care Seen As A Stealth Issue In 1994 Elections,” The Houston Chronicle, 11/16/94)

Poll Shows Voters Want Congress To Do “Something Decidedly Modest And Incremental” On Health Care. “Candidates may not have talked much about health care in the 1994 campaign, but some leading pollsters suggested on Tuesday that the bitter 18-month-long struggle over the issue was crucial in stoking the attitudes at the heart of last week's election: anger, cynicism and disappointment with the Democrats. Moreover, a new post-election  survey released Tuesday showed that voters still expected Congress to do something to fix the health care system, but something decidedly modest and incremental.” (Robin Toner, “Health Care Seen As A Stealth Issue In 1994 Elections,” The Houston Chronicle, 11/16/94)

Voters’ Message To Washington: “Get Government Off Our Backs.” “Cassandra Guidry-Joseph said she sent this message to Washington with her vote Tuesday: ‘It's time for the government to stop trying to rescue everyone,’ said the 34-year-old teaching consultant in St. Joseph, Mich. John Goble of Elk River, Minn., a 33-year-old electrician, said his vote meant: ‘Get government off our backs.’ Linda Hoerter of New York City sent a message too. ‘Reduce the deficit and lower my taxes,’ said the 40-year-old police sergeant. ‘I don't want to see a lot of time and money spent on expanding government programs where we're not necessarily getting our bang for the buck.’” (Richard Morin, “Derailed Democrats Search for the Road to Recovery,” The Washington Post, 11/13/94)

Voters Sending “Clear Message To … Agent Of Change: Change Again - Or Risk Defeat…” “The anti-government tidal wave that washed over Washington Tuesday will force President Clinton to deal with Republicans or bring new meaning to the word gridlock… By electing more Republicans to the Senate, House and statehouses, voters sent a clear message to 1992's agent of change: Change again - or risk defeat in 1996.” (Richard Wolf, “GOP Rattles Dems Power Shifting In Senate, House, States Voters' Mood: ‘Time For A Change,’” USA Today, 11/9/94)

• “No more 1,342-page health care plans. Instead, a leaner, meaner set of moderate policies - tax cuts, spending cuts…” ‘I think the president is going to cut his losses and keep the agenda simple,’ says James Thurber, director of American University's Center for Congressional and Presidential Studies. ‘It will be a limited agenda.’” (Richard Wolf, “GOP Rattles Dems Power Shifting In Senate, House, States Voters' Mood: ‘Time For A Change,’” USA Today, 11/9/94)

“Democrats Might Have Fared Better In Last Week's Elections If They Had Embraced The Bipartisan Health-Care Compromise…” (Paul Goodsell, “Pollster: Health Compromise Would Have Aided Democrats,” Omaha World Herald, 11/16/94)

Democrat Rep. Charlie Rose: “We Weren't Moving In The Right Direction." “Mr. Rose said the ‘50-some people [Democrats] who lost their House seats’ in the general election are bitter. ‘They are angry at the president, angry at the leaders in Congress, and angry at themselves that they didn't wake up and face the fact that we weren't moving in the right direction.’” (Joyce Price, “White House, Hill 'Elitism' Blamed For GOP Victory,” The Washington Times, 11/27/94)

Landslide Forced Clinton “To Consider A More Moderate Approach To His Domestic Policy, From Health Care To Crime And Welfare.” “Stunned by this political nightmare, Clinton is struggling to convince voters he is the true champion of what they saw in the GOP on Tuesday: small government, political reform and community values. The landslide also forced him to consider a more moderate approach to his domestic policy, from health care to crime and welfare.” (Ron Fournier, “GOP Could Keep Clinton Guessing Next Two Years,” The Associated Press, 11/11/94)

• Following Election Losses, Clinton Has To “Scale Back His Ambitious Health Care Reform” In Hopes Of “Salvaging Any Substantial Semblance Of His Legislative Agenda.” “For all of President Clinton's efforts to make the best of the midterm election disaster that has hit him and his Democratic Party, he is faced now not only with the problem of salvaging any substantial semblance of his legislative agenda but also with the task of reviving his personal political prospects for re-election in 1996. … He obviously must scale back his ambitious health care reform plans of this year to the features that most congressional Republicans have already said they will buy, most notably portability of insurance coverage and coverage for pre-existing conditions.” (Jack Germond & Jules Witcover, “A Dilemma For Clinton Fight GOP Or Scale Back,” The Baltimore Sun, 11/10.94)

Dayton Daily News: “Then there's health. He overreached, putting together a proposal that was so bureaucratic and confusing as to scare off even people who shared his basic goal.” (Editorial, “Democrats Can Make Bad Situation Even Worse,” Dayton Daily News, 11/10/94)

• DDN: “Everything Mr. Clinton did energized another part of the conservative movement. … And the health-care debate confirmed all of the right's deepest suspicions.” (Editorial, “Democrats Can Make Bad Situation Even Worse,” Dayton Daily News, 11/10/94)

Health Care Plan “Gave Republicans A Hook To Hang Their Most Devastating Charge: That He Was A Big Spending Liberal, Just Like All Those Other Democrats Who Preceded Him.” “Clinton's health care plan didn't help, either. Nor did the package of tax increases and spending cuts he pushed to cut the deficit. The two proposals gave Republicans a hook to hang their most devastating charge: that he was a big spending liberal, just like all those other Democrats who preceded him. The health plan died an orphan in Congress, robbing Democrats of the issue they'd once hoped to present to voters this fall… And so the voters sent Clinton a much more conservative Congress to work with - or against - in the coming two years. Look for Clinton - and some Republicans - to at least talk about working together in a bipartisan fashion.” (David Dahl, “GOP Makes National Gains,” St. Petersburg Times, 11/9/94)