Cynical Mandate

Brooking's Henry Aaron says to chill out over the different health care appraoches offered by Hillary and Obama ...

In this situation, what should Democratic primary election voters make of the dueling press releases and expert statements that each side has invoked on the desirability of an individual mandate? The answer, I believe, is close to nothing. Here's why. First, the positions of the candidates are barely distinguishable. Second, if elected, no Democrat will be able to shove a health care reform plan through Congress without major modification. Third, all would call on a similar set of advisors with broadly similar views. (Do not doubt that most analysts advising each Democratic candidate would gladly serve in the administrations of their current rivals!) Primary voters should not base their votes on the negligible differences that distinguish the campaign statements of the candidates on health care. Rather, they should base their votes on their judgments regarding the capacity of each candidate, if elected, to unify their own party and to reach across the aisle to achieve the bipartisan cooperation that will be necessary to enact major health care reform. The current analytical squabble is a diversion. As a certified policy wonk, I fully understand the seductions of these debates. Models. Statistics. Oh, boy! But having lived through way too many of these arguments, I also understand that winning them has nothing to do with getting elected and governing effectively. Let's keep our eye on the ball.

I dunno. There's certainly some merit to Aaron's conclusion that any final product will go through the legislative wringer and any Dem-inspired proposal will come from the usual suspect of center-left health care wonks. But is it really splitting hairs to not be too favorable about someone telling me that I need to go out and spend $200-300/month on something so that someone else's rates will come down? There's a principle here that warrants debating. I'm thinking Aaron's just a bit too cynical here for his own good.