Published by: Shawn Gremminger on 9/20/2010 4:47:35 PM
A recent article in Politico highlights a growing trend: Since the beginning of the August recess, anti-health reform Democratic candidates have spent more money attacking health care reform than pro-reform Democrats have spent defending it. After passing the largest overhaul in health care policy since the 1960s, pro-reform Democrats in Congress completely ceded the messaging war. Rather than run on what is probably their most significant legislative accomplishment since returning to power in 2006, Democrats appear to be hoping that people will just forget it ever happened.
While the litany of polls showing a majority of Americans are sour on reform may provide justification for their strategy, let’s consider an alternative (contrarian?) question: The economy continues to be in the doldrums and exterior forces (slow progress in Afghanistan, the normal anti-president tilt in most mid-term elections, etc.) continue to hurt their reelection prospects. If the Democrats choose not point to their legislative achievements, what exactly is left for the Democrats to run on?