A Center/Right Call to Action: Lessons Learned from a 100 Year War

On March 25^th in Iowa City, Iowa, President Obama said the following: “On Tuesday, after a year of debate and a century of trying, after so many of you shared your stories and your heartaches and your hopes, that promise was finally fulfilled.  And today, health insurance reform is the law of the land.”

In taking his victory lap (and in innumerable remarks made over the past year) President Obama once again turned to a tried and true weapon in his rhetorical arsenal: the 100 year argument for healthcare reform.

Many questions arise out of what the President has been saying about the past 100 years in regards to this battle for healthcare reform.  If the press were doing their job, they would ask questions like “Why would he use this argument time and time again in pushing for healthcare reform in 2010?”, or “Who exactly has been trying to get healthcare reform done for 100 years?”, or even “Why have these folks been trying so hard for so long?” 

But the best question, and the one I would ask, could be “If healthcare reform is so great, why has it taken 100 years to finally pass it?”

There could be many answers to this very complex question, but the most obvious answer is that the people of the United States have never overwhelmingly desired or called healthcare reform.  Thus our elected officials have never taken the extreme steps to force it upon us.

If this is true, then this gives us insight to the basic identity and desires of the American public as a whole.  And this knowledge better explains what guides the people who have pushed the ideals that are opposite of what Americans have consistently desired. 

This understanding also sheds light on how the American public will undoubtedly respond and react when their collective will is trampled upon by those in the minority who fall outside of this basic identity.

To this end it could very easily be said that in the republic we in which we live the will of the people is designed to reign supreme.  In fact, Thomas Jefferson said, “The will of the people is the only legitimate foundation of any government, and to protect its free expression should be our first object.”

If this is the case, what relationship is there between a 100 year push for healthcare and the seemingly opposite will of the American public?

Well, according to this New York Times timeline, over those 100 years the following presidents have attempted to drastically overhaul of our healthcare system or have openly pushed for universal healthcare: Teddy Roosevelt, Franklin Roosevelt, Truman, Kennedy, Johnson, Carter, Clinton, and Obama.

Take a look at that list – not exactly a conservative dream team.

Okay, that tells us who has led the push.  But what about our country?

Most conservatives would call our country a “center-right” nation.  When you look over the entirety of the country (past the population centers and even certain geographical anomalies) it certainly appears as if this is the case.  We are not overwhelmingly conservative nor are we overwhelmingly liberal.  However, our historical inclination to the free market system, capitalism, and a limited form of government lead many people believe that the country leans at least somewhat to the right.

Identification studies back this up.  In October, 2009, Gallup released a poll where 40% of Americans say they consider themselves “conservative”, 36% consider themselves “moderate”, and 22% consider themselves “liberal”.

Yet as a country we do elect presidents who lean left.  In fact, we have done this on many occasions over the past 100 years.  However, this could be because of the popularity of the parties at certain times, how well campaigns are run or not run, or the political circumstances that surround hotly contested elections.

What is also true is that the current President was not swept into office by a massive popular vote margin as some on the left would have you believe.  In fact, the popular vote was a difference of roughly 9.5 million votes out of just over 131 million cast – this translated into a difference of 7.25% of the total number of votes.  To put that into perspective, in 1984 Ronald Reagan beat Walter Mondale by 16.9 million votes or 18.2%.  Where we that much different in 1984 than we were in 2008?

No.  Just as Reagan’s victory was a product of its time, the same can be true for Obama’s victory.

Furthermore, what these figures certainly do not signify is that those of us on the right are all of the sudden overwhelmingly outnumbered by those on the left.  But that is what the left would like you to believe.

On his Twitter account, Roger Ebert said this before the healthcare vote: “Not ONE Republican will depart from the Party Line. Suicidal. Out of touch with America, which WANTS this bill.”  Subsequently after the vote his reaction was much the same: “I feel kinda like I did on Nov. 4, 2008. The American people have good hearts, and democracy works. Lies and fear do not prevail.”   

What are the clear lessons we can learn from this outspoken liberal?  That the American people who voted for Obama have good hearts.  Democracy works even though no one on the opposite side of the aisle would vote for the bill.  And because no Republicans would vote for the bill, it is suicide for them politically because America WANTS this bill. 

I don’t think so, Roger.  If we are to believe public polls, America very clearly did not want the bill and still does not want the bill even as it has been signed into law.  Certain segments obviously desire this type of government intervention within healthcare (and every other aspect of their lives), and they are very passionate about their support.  But to make an overarching statement such as the entire country wants something this clearly partisan is just not very intelligent.  To me these kinds of statements born out of Roger’s liberal isolationism sound just plain silly. 

Additionally, If Roger’s assertions were true about the bill’s massive popularity, then the bill would have been passed the House by an overwhelming margin by members of both parties.  Instead, it only passed by a meager 4 votes; all of which were from the same political party.

All of this takes us back to the original question: Why did it take 100 years to pass major health reform? 

Again, could the answer simply be that because we are a center/right country, as a whole we have never truly supported massive healthcare reform?

If this is true, then the converse is also true: Only a certain liberal segment of society has always wanted massive healthcare reform and relentlessly worked toward it for 100 years.

So what is different about 2010?  If the country did not dramatically change, then what made the difference now?

This difference is that this certain liberal segment of society that has been fighting this war for the past 100 years also happens to currently lead the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate.  And it also holds the office of President of the United States.

Simply put, it was a perfect storm of liberal leadership imposing their will on not only a center/right American public but also the numerous centrist Democrats currently serving in the United States Congress.  We know this is true by the amount of arm-twisting, deal making, and parlimentarian tricks it took to get to the necessary 216 votes in the House and 51 votes in the Senate. 

If we were to be honest, we could even go so far as to say that three people flexed their political muscle and overrode the will of the people of the United States of America.

And now they wonder why an overwhelming segment of the population is so angry?  Could it be that we are upset our collective will got trampled on?

So what do we do?  If we are a center/right country who is not pleased by their left leaning leadership both locally and in Washington, what is the plan?  How should we proceed from this point on?

The first thing we must do is unite under a center/right flag with those whom are willing to fight for a common purpose.  If we can humbly and effectively figure out the ideals and philosophies we share and focus on them, we can unite to build effective and long-term coalitions.

Secondly, we need to be trained as educated citizens how to re-take our country through information gathering and sharing, community changing elections, and through the persuasion of more sensible ideals.

And lastly, we need to identify and support solid candidates to run for office on the local level in preparation for national change.  Then we need to give these people the tools and resources to win.  This involves encouraging center/right folks to properly assist them and support them as campaign volunteers and voters on election day.

By following these few game-changing principles we can undo what’s been done.  But it will take time, patience, and the right people in office to do the job.  American Majority can help through our candidate and activist trainings, and other organizations can provide massive amounts of tools and resources to take us from an angry group of protesting citizens to a focused group of implementers of freedom.

It is up to us, folks.  We all need to help.  We must now flex our political muscles as free and proud Americans.

In the end, if we do it correctly, we will get back to where we have always been as a center/right nation – a nation dedicated to the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for all Americans.