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EDITOR OF REDSTATE

The Fight of the Century

By: Erick Erickson (Diary)  |  May 25th, 2011 at 03:59 PM  | 

RESIZE: AAA

Much of the rhetoric coming out of Washington today is, not surprisingly, related to medicare and the impact it had on the special election in New York.

I am of the opinion that it did not have as much impact as other issues, but there is no denying it had some impact. It just wasn’t, despite left-wing spin, the foundation of the GOP’s disaster.

But, coming out of Washington today, the GOP is wringing its hands saying the public just doesn’t understand, the Democrats are demagoguing the issue, and lying.

This, friends, is exactly what the Democrats said about the GOP on healthcare in 2010. The GOP should not reduce itself to repeating the Democrats mistakes or defensive rhetoric.

Frankly, I think the GOP needs to get out there now and point out the real facts. Medicare is going broke. Paul Ryan does not kill off or starve or drive up costs on old people. And I would point out the Democrats want Medicare to go broke so they can yet again impose expanded socialism on America.

Yes, I think the GOP needs to get out there and confront senior citizens with the facts, the solution, and Democrat inaction. Scare the bejeezus out of the old folks with the truth. They’ll vote GOP. They and their forebears did not fight to keep this country free only to see Democrats willfully collapse the system to replace it with European style socialism.

They get it. The GOP just needs to make sure they hear the message over the media and Democrats. It’s time for a 501(c)(4) to get with Frank Luntz, focus group some ads, and make some massive ad buys.

If the Republican Party cannot reform Medicare — if the GOP cannot win this fight — there is no way they will ever repeal Obamacare. This fight must be won.

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COMMENTS

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  • silentcal2012

    Maybe its not wise to constantly undermine the messenger. I know Paul Ryan isn’t pure enough for groups like the Tea Party Express, few mere mortals are. Too many are busy tearing down Paul Ryan and those other dastardly “establishment” Republicans. Even when Ryan gave the rebuttal to the SOTU, he wasnt good enough for the “real” conservatives. Stunts like that make Paul Ryan look weak.

  • silentcal2012

    Maybe its not wise to constantly undermine the messenger. I know Paul Ryan isn’t pure enough for groups like the Tea Party Express, few mere mortals are. Too many are busy tearing down Paul Ryan and those other dastardly “establishment” Republicans. Even when Ryan gave the rebuttal to the SOTU, he wasnt good enough for the “real” conservatives. Stunts like that make Paul Ryan look weak.

  • http://www.FranBaker.com frankieb

    n/t

  • billyd

    Right now, every media outlet out there wants to interview Paul Ryan, and push the democrats talking points. Ryan needs to take charge of the interviews and challenge the Democrats to a debate over medicare, and during every interview, point out that medicare will be broke in less than 12 years and that the Democrats have not offered anything but lies to address the problem.

    Ryan needs to call the Democrats what they are, LIARS! And when the interviewer askes if he is calling (insert Dem rep name here) a liar, say “yes, that’s exactly what i’m calling them”.

  • snowsoul

    But I don’t think this is it by a long shot. The “tea partier” screwed it up, I think there may be more truth to that than admitted, but this isn’t the only election out there. They definitely need to message better, but how about the runoff for Harman’s seat in California? I guess that’s the first time in a while a Republican has had a possibility of winning there in a very heavily democratic district.

  • Cheryl

    Is anybody really surprised with the granny in the wheelchair being pushed over a cliff by a John Boehner lookalike? Seriously, we should have had a commercial out in 24 hours to counter it, like maybe with children foregoing after school sports so they can work and pay out 70% of their meager checks to help pay social programs.

    We have to punch back hard. Who is going to do this?

  • onemovoter

    and educate people on the realities of the federal social programs and how they are going broke. Erick is exactly right, if they want to win the reform debate they have to go out and educate. After people get to know the truth, no amount of scaring will work. It’s really what was behind the genius of Ronald Reagan.

    PS: why do I keep seeing a lot of double postings on RS?

  • onemovoter

    From a distance.

  • onemovoter

    I’m really hoping she will be defeated this election. Seriously if there was a double speak of the century award, she’d win it hands down! Yes she is really that bad, worse than John Kerry.

  • charliesalmanack

    This is a “make-or-break” moment for the Republic.

    A very aggressive media counter-attack is the call of the day.

    Anyone who’s observed the description of these events in the media these past few weeks (e.g. the David Gregory interviews of Marco Rubio and Paul Ryan) knows it’s going to be an uphill climb. But the lack of an immediate, very aggressive counter-attack is going to solidify this event’s status as an albatross for both next year’s election, as well as for governing through 2012.

    Please keep pushing this Erick. And please keep advising us how we can help you do so.

  • http://travismonitor.blogspot.com Freedoms Truth

    The GOP is blowing it.
    The Tea Party is blowing it.
    The grassroots people are blowing it.

    They all are making the SAME error – a failure to focus on going after the Democrats, a failure to stand up for our conservative values and agenda, and a failure to treat our side with more consideration than we do the far left.

    Our failure to argue for our side and to challenge Obama day-in day-out on all points is the problem. That has been the problem since at least the ‘deal’ in early April. The DC GOP has FAILED to FIGHT. The grassroots and Tea Party has FAILED to rally to the current issues, but leadership shared more blame for not articulating the message around which to rally. We are already distracted with 2012 – very convenient for Obama and the ‘kick the can down the road’ party.

    I go to left-wing sites and I see venom and spittle against … Republicans. I go to right-wing sites and I see venom and spittle against … Republicans. What’s wrong with this picture?

    Why do we do this? Why do we keep falling in the trap of media narrative and self-immolation? Why do we cower instead of fight? Why didnt the GOP leadership see it coming (the Mediscare tactic) and put an organized/coordinated attack on Obama’s Obamacare and his spending and jobs failures? Why do idiot Senators like Brown and Collins go out of their way to do their RINO ‘distance’ dance? (yes, they are idiots because in doing so they weaken the GOP but also themselves and they serve to detract from solving issues)

    What we SHOULD be doing, day in day out:
    - Make the arguments that we cannot spend ourselves into oblivion
    - Point out that the Democrat do NOT have a plan on the debt, on the deficit, on spending, on ANYTHING … except “spend it all”
    - Defend the necessary plan – spending cuts now, no new taxes, fix entitlements, no new entitlements

  • earlgrey

    I called Cantor’s office and they appreciated the call and asked where I was calling from. I know I posted this before, but if you have some time let these guys know they have our support.

    sorry for the repost.

  • earlgrey

    affect his favorability there?

  • http://www.usdebateboard.com usdebateboard

    Same as the CR fight. Lines in the sand are the surest sign you’re on defense, not offense.

    The constituents of 242 Congressional districts didn’t vote for this.

  • carolina

    they (and we) want to make to BIG govt spending. Everyone pays/paid in for medicare = a vested interest in getting their ‘due’.
    Until the BIG govt radically cuts ALL of the other wasteful programs/spending I don’t think folks are going to support reducing medicare benefits.
    People like medicare. Folks do not want what most of the rest of the spending provides – from energy research to more regulation to 1000′s of beaurocrats. I think the GOP makes a mistake by taking on the medicare fight before they have a majority in the Senate also. All the GOP is doing is giving the dems a cause to rally around.
    Bottom line is that nothing is going to change with medicare under a dem senate and BO. The GOP needs a POSITIVE growth message for the next two years = cut all of the wasteful govt spending and battle against regulations. Sunset some laws and commissions and regulations!
    This medicare battle will hurt the GOP. This is not the right time to tackle medicare, which doesn’t go ‘broke’ for 12 years (they keep saying).
    Cut everything else first. Until all the other cuts are done…… no one trusts the govt to be doing anything but ‘screwing’ the tax payers again.

  • carolina

    they (and we) want to make to BIG govt spending. Everyone pays/paid in for medicare = a vested interest in getting their ‘due’.
    Until the BIG govt radically cuts ALL of the other wasteful programs/spending I don’t think folks are going to support reducing medicare benefits.
    People like medicare. Folks do not want what most of the rest of the spending provides – from energy research to more regulation to 1000′s of beaurocrats. I think the GOP makes a mistake by taking on the medicare fight before they have a majority in the Senate also. All the GOP is doing is giving the dems a cause to rally around.
    Bottom line is that nothing is going to change with medicare under a dem senate and BO. The GOP needs a POSITIVE growth message for the next two years = cut all of the wasteful govt spending and battle against regulations. Sunset some laws and commissions and regulations!
    This medicare battle will hurt the GOP. This is not the right time to tackle medicare, which doesn’t go ‘broke’ for 12 years (they keep saying).
    Cut everything else first. Until all the other cuts are done…… no one trusts the govt to be doing anything but ‘screwing’ the tax payers again.

  • gpclaw

    Video via HotAir of Paul Ryan and Bill Clinton, speaking back stage, during an event for the Peter G Peterson Foundation.

    Obama and the Progressives have dismantled Clinton’s “Blue Dog” coalition. As much as Bubba would like to see the Dems maintain power, he still wants the Democratic party to be HIS party, not Barry O’s.

  • izoneguy

    Ryan’s plan is trying to save Medicare –

    How ObamaCare Guts Medicare

    http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703649004575437311393854940.html

    Altogether, ObamaCare cuts $818 billion from Medicare Part A (hospital insurance) from 2014-2023, the first 10 years of its full implementation, and $3.2 trillion over the first 20 years, 2014-2033. Adding in ObamaCare cuts for Medicare Part B (physicians fees and other services) brings the total cut to $1.05 trillion over the first 10 years and $4.95 trillion over the first 20 years.

    These draconian cuts in Medicare payments to doctors, hospitals and other health-care providers that serve America’s seniors were the basis for the Congressional Budget Office’s official “score”?repeatedly cited by the president?that the health-reform legislation would actually reduce the federal deficit. But Mr. Obama never disclosed how that deficit reduction would actually be achieved.

    There will be additional cuts under ObamaCare to Medicare Advantage, the private option to Medicare that close to one-fourth of all seniors have chosen for their coverage under the program because it gives them a better deal. Mr. Foster estimates that 50% of all seniors with Medicare Advantage will lose their plan because of these cuts. Mr. Obama’s pledge that “If you like your health plan, you will be able to keep it” clearly does not apply to America’s seniors.

    —————————————————————————————

    How ObamaCare Cuts Medicare

    http://reason.com/blog/2011/05/09/how-obamacare-cuts-medicare

    The big picture is plain: This is what happens when you yoke a huge portion of a major industry (the health sector) to a single, government payer. But the best solution is not to continually inflate centrally-set rates on the taxpayer dime, or to attempt to control spending through a commission of independent experts, however well intentioned. It?s to allow market-driven price signals (starting by restoring balancing billing) into a quasi-government-run health care system that, for decades, has been lashed to one federally determined price setting scheme or another, nearly all of which were intended to restrain out-of-control spending somehow?and, as the current entitlement predicament shows, nearly all of which failed.

  • libertardo

    has been just a bill, and with its failure in the Senate isn’t gointg to be law. Democrats passed Obmacare into law without a single Republican vote. That actually gutted Medicare to the tune of half a trillion. Does the citizenry remember? Only by voting for Republicans in the House, can we assure that Obamacare will be repealed. I think they’ll remember, I have hope.

  • lukematthews

    You are absolutely right. These comparisons of actual actions need to be pressed. We have to cause and uproar and spread the truth. The Party-run media HAS to have its feet held to the fire and it HAS to be us. We must stop sniping at other Republicans and hit the Democratic run Senate hard with its inaction. We also have to really expose Obamacare’s flaws one by one by one like Chinese water torture to get people to open their eyes. We almost stopped the train, now let’s HEAVE HO!!!!

  • izoneguy

    The democrats are lying about what Ryan is trying to do.

    The democrats have ALREADY gutted MediCare by passing ObamaCare.

    They don’t want the ugly truth to get out until dear MaObama is re-elected.

    If dear leader is re-elected then EVERYONE is screwed – especially seniors.
    Their life expectancy under ObamaCare will drop very drastically.

  • Joe Cor

    It just needs to be said where people can hear it. Say it to Bob Schieffer on Face the Nation, to George on This Week or GMA or wherever he’s selling his wares. Tell them they’re demagoguing too, by the way. Tell them they’re nothing but the mouthpiece of the Democratic party. But do it where people can hear you doing it. Turn the interviews around, start grilling the reporters for what they’re reporting, how they’re reporting it, and what they’re not reporting. Get it through people’s heads that the media and Democrats are not playing straight and haven’t for decades.

  • eucher

    Michael Steele’s successor? Old what’s-his-face — the guy named after the electric Volkswagen … his should be a household name because he should be out here every day FIGHTING AGAINST THE DEMS and Obama’s failing agenda. Why is he MIA???

  • gekster
  • http://www.usdebateboard.com usdebateboard

    They’re reactive and not proactive. Boehner got de-pantsed during the CR standoff, and McConnell phones it in when dealing with the Murkowski-Brown-Snowe-Collins wing of the party, where he could not peel off a single yes vote from that gang on the Medicare vote in the Senate today.

    This isn’t their revolution, and it shows, more and more every day.

  • Bill S

    The primary goal of the head of the RNC is to raise money, not to be some sort of ideological leader. The problem with Steele was that he spent too much time spewing ideology that didn’t make sense, and he spent too much. Period.

    I personally hope he keeps his nose out of the actual politicking and sticks with campaign fundraising with groups and individuals who have money to give.

  • http://www.usdebateboard.com usdebateboard

    in the House and Senate.

    In fact, it makes it a bigger 800 pound gorilla.

  • eucher

    should be to unify the party with coherent messaging. Right now, we have a serious lack of leadership and unity.

    Important messages like Ryan’s Medicare video today get ignored by all but Redstate and Hotair readers in large part because we don’t have prominent voices out there supporting him and talking about it … while Harry Reid is on the news pretending NY-26 represents a decisive rejection by all Americans of Ryan’s plan.

    With the current lack of strong, unified Republican messages and lackluster support from our own party for existing GOP ideas and efforts, how successful will Priebus be in raising funds anyway?

  • http://www.usdebateboard.com usdebateboard

    he’ll do better than his predecessor. I understand he is already (quietly) digging out of the hole.

  • runner12

    When grumpy guy on CNN (Cafferty) is calling him out, that is pretty bad. Obama should have packed up and headed back to the States instead of partying up and living ths high life with the elites in Europe.

  • runner12

    First of all, the meme that the Medicare issue had anything to do with the loss is utterly false.

    The fact is that the GOP candidate ran a terrible campaign and a phony Tea Party candidate swept in and drew votes. Add to that it is NEW YORK for heavens sake, not exactly the center for conservative thought.

    That being said, the GOP needs to get on the offensive and explain to people why the Ryan plan will save Medicare, not destroy it. They need to combat the lies of the Dems.

  • jsim

    We have to fess of to reality if we want to stay in front of this message. Conservatives won this district 74-26 in November. Tea Party spoiler or not, this is a major shift that every poll and non-partisan report which I’ve read attributes to Medicare. Denial will not solve this problem.

    This was the wrong battle to fight. Obozo and the boys can wait until August to pass this budget, leaving a leaderless House and minority senate twisting in the wind throughout the summer.

    I’ve heard from my elders that people are going door to door in senior communities of Pennsylvania “educating” them on the Ryan budget. And not in ways that are helping Republicans.

    We worked too hard from 2009 through 2010 to throw this away on a budget will never pass. DITCH THIS POSITION and keep our powder dry to fight another day.

  • http://www.doctor-bob.biz rsklaroff

    …and if the GOP can stand for anything, it is this approach to politics!

  • gwalt

    Is the fact that these lies and scare tactics are being repeated by the so-called media. As part of a massive ad buy as Eric mentioned, we should include specific anchors who have promoted the lies and call them out on it. Don’t call them the “media” any longer, call them by name.

    We will win in 2012 and beyond if we cut off the fuel supply to Dems. It will be our Battle of the Bulge. The Germans lost largely because they ran out of fuel—– let’s run the Dems out of fuel by cutting off the medusa’s gasoline.

  • Marcus_Traianus

    Corwin was a weak candidate and not very well liked to start with. Good job again, inept NY GOP!

    Corwin did not offer a defense of Medicare, The Ryan Plan or much else.

    The incident with her staffer was a final nail in the coffin.

    This all allowed a 3rd party candidate (who previously ran as a Democrat, not Tea Party) to pull votes from a weak, ineffectual candidate.

    So to sum it up; if we expect to run Mr Ed, because, after all it doesn’t matter- Nancy Pelosi residuals/ Obama are so unpopular. And we will not effectively/articulately discuss the issues; then welcome to the status quo.

    More than anything else, I blame the NRCC and Boehner, who is probably the weakest Speaker in generations.

    The Ryan Plan isn’t that hard to understand; nothing will change for people 55 and over. How can you screw that up with “seniors”?

  • gunslingr45

    explain
    The ?tea partier? screwed it up,

  • edintexas

    The guy who ran as the alleged “Tea Party” candidate had previously engaged in (IIRC) 3 election campaigns as a Democrat. To the degree that he fooled some voters into thinking he was on the right, he deprived the Republican of votes.

  • edintexas

    I read an article reporting on polling which showed that a large percentage of those 65 and over thought Ryan’s plan would negatively effect their financial situation. They believed the Democrat propaganda that the Republicans intend to eliminate Medicare. The only reason to include folks 65 and up in the polling about the effect of Ryan’s plan is to try and scare us (yes, I’m in that group* – though not in the supposed statistical majority). No politicians are talking about cutting Medicare for those 55, much less those already on Medicare. I’ve already e-Mailed Jeb Hensarling about the lack of Republican response, and included a link to the article I read. I did receive a general e-Mail to constituents from Hensarling, with a response to the charges about Medicare, within a day.

    * For the record I am on Medicare because I couldn’t refuse Part A. I have perfectly good health insurance and don’t believe I should stick the taxpayers with costs my insurance policy covers.

    Double posting: I understand that those who use Internet Explorer experience this problem more frequently. For those using FireFox, or another non-M$ browser, I think the problem might be not waiting for their first input to appear.

  • cja99

    The messaging on Ryan’s medicare plan is poor to say the least. We’re broke and Obama is proving every day that he wants to let this country hit bottom, so that he can turn this country into Socialism or whatever else is worse. Let’s make him a one-term President and reduce the size of government and take back our country!

  • cja99

    where’s any ideas from the Democrats about saving medicare? We’re broke. You know what they are planning, it’s going to get so bad in this country and people will be so desperate that people will grab anything Obama throws at them. The Democrats just want to raise your taxes, so that they can waste your money and then they want more, and more and more.

  • clowngirl

    I’ve had difficulty finding a lot of in-depth conservative analysis of Ryan’s medicare plan and what I have read confuses me. For example: read one article that explained that seniors would still be able to afford insurance because there would be a provision of the law that limits how much insurance companies would be able to charge medicare patients, Thinking as someone not near medicare-age – does that mean they could/would raise their rates on everyone else to make up for it?

    If I understand correctly this plan: 1) Saves taxpayers massive amounts of money 2) does not drive up the costs on seniors — the obvious question would be How? It is just a matter of requiring insurance companies to absorb the cost by providing discount policies? Or does it work in some more complicated way – if so what?

    Links to articles that explain the plan in depth would be much appreciated!

  • cja99

    he is a Democrat, and I think his candidacy was done deliberately to sabotage the Republican candidate.

  • gekster

    http://townhall.com/tipsheet/guybenson/2011/04/28/how_paul_ryans_plan_ends_medicare

    If this doesn’t give a good enough expanation, do a search on
    “ryans medicare plan”
    I got 38,600 results.
    Just beware of the sites that are liberal, as you know they will distort and lie.

  • YnotNOW

    If someone is going door-to-door to seniors to sell them lies and scare tactics, then we had better be in this fight RIGHT NOW to counter with the truth.

    The fact that someone who did not defend the Ryan Medicare reform plan very well lost to the person who demogogued scare tactics, means that we have to get out front on this issue – early and often – to present the strong case on the absolute necessity of the problem facing us, and the correctness of our solution addressing the problem.

    Consumer choice to determine what is worth paying for, or government rationing to decide what they will pay for you – is that too hard a choice to present?

  • YnotNOW

    If someone is going door-to-door to seniors to sell them lies and scare tactics, then we had better be in this fight RIGHT NOW to counter with the truth.

    The fact that someone who did not defend the Ryan Medicare reform plan very well lost to the person who demogogued scare tactics, means that we have to get out front on this issue – early and often – to present the strong case on the absolute necessity of the problem facing us, and the correctness of our solution addressing the problem.

    Consumer choice to determine what is worth paying for, or government rationing to decide what they will pay for you – is that too hard a choice to present?

  • YnotNOW

    The Medicare battle will only hurt the GOP if they allow the media or the dems to set the ground rules. If we push the message that there is a REAL PROBLEM and that Obamacare only makes it worse, then they will start to realize there is a need for change.

    If we overcome the “push grandma off the cliff” scare-mongering and tell them that if we pass it NOW, then we can keep the over-55 seniors exactly as they are with no change, then they will start to settle down and listen. And if you tell them that if we don’t change now, then we’ll soon have to make even more drastic changes (rationing, etc.), then we will gain their support.

    Education, education, education – and messaging.

  • YnotNOW

    The Medicare battle will only hurt the GOP if they allow the media or the dems to set the ground rules. If we push the message that there is a REAL PROBLEM and that Obamacare only makes it worse, then they will start to realize there is a need for change.

    If we overcome the “push grandma off the cliff” scare-mongering and tell them that if we pass it NOW, then we can keep the over-55 seniors exactly as they are with no change, then they will start to settle down and listen. And if you tell them that if we don’t change now, then we’ll soon have to make even more drastic changes (rationing, etc.), then we will gain their support.

    Education, education, education – and messaging.

  • izoneguy

    If ObamaCare is not repealed then worrying about MediCare is really a moot point.

    As it is – ObamaCare if left in place will eventually kill MediCare and doom seniors to those “death panels”.

  • izoneguy

    No time for GOP fear

    http://washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/columnists/2011/05/no-time-gop-fear

    Three step approach to fix this problem:

    1.) Win elections in November. Keep the House, Take the Senate & Presidency.

    2.) Repeal ObamaCare – Lock, Stock & Barrel

    3.) Reform MediCare & MediCaid without democratic involvement and/or support.

  • edintexas

    One third of all Federal spending, and growing, is SSA, Medicare and Medicaid. That spending is growing because “baby boomers” are turning 65 and eligible for SSA payments (if not working) and Medicare (whether working or not).

    Unless you are suggesting cutting almost ALL other spending, we are going to have to tackle this 800 pound gorilla of these entitlement programs, and do it very soon. No one has suggested cutting benefits for those already on the programs, or soon to be eligible, Wait, let me correct that. The Democrats are more than suggesting, they are shouting loudly that the Republicans are planning on eliminating Medicare. This is an outright lie, but we know bold lies virtually always work for the Democrats.

  • edintexas

    NY 26 has a lot of older folks, and I read polling that indicated they believed the Ryan “plan” would cause their Medicare coverage to change and cost them a lot of money (or be eliminated altogether). We know this is a lie, but those voters didn’t and the GOP candidate apparently did a poor job of educating the voters (as do almost all Republicans). The phony “Tea Party” candidate (IIRC, he ran 3 times as a Democrat, this was his first election as anything but a Democrat) did pull some votes from the Republican, but probably not enough to alter the election. There were reports that the voters he “lost” went to the Democrat. Guess they were in on the scam.

  • edintexas

    How? By allowing the lies to go unchallenged, at least in major media organs. If there is no alternate to the lies, the lies become the “truth”.

  • clowngirl

    I read the article you linked to and the one linked to it. Thank you for taking the trouble!

    Still confused though.

    The articles were somewhat helpful but very brief. And it doesn’t address the questions I posed.

    The one central question would be – how would the savings be acheived? Are seniors indeed being asked to pick up more of the bill? (and I’m not saying that should disqualify it –I just think it should be clear) Are the insurance companies required to do it?

    A plurality of Americans don’t know what to think of the Medicare proposal yet — and I think a lot of that is probably because it isn’t clear how exactly it would work and what its impact would be. I’d like to see the plan thrashed out and vigorously debated, closely studied and analyzed like was done with Obamacare — to make sure it is really the best possible plan — not just the first serious attempt at a solution that someone’s come out with.