DNC Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz was asked to respond to Karl Rove’s op-ed this morning on national television. He wrote that “Republicans should pray every night that Democrats take her [Wasserman Shultz’s] delusional advice and make ObamaCare their campaign's centerpiece.”
Here’s what she said (via The Corner):
Does she not realize Congressional Democrats are freaking out right now? They all know that if they don’t vote for something soon that gives off the appearance they’re at least trying to let Americans keep their old health insurance plans, they’re doomed. “I just wouldn’t want to be from a swing district right now. Or anything that closely resembles one,” one anonymous Democratic source recently said. No kidding. There’s nothing Congress people fear more than losing their jobs, and Obamacare could be a real deal breaker for Democrats in 2014. By the looks of things, the president’s recently announced “fix” will not resolve their worst fear, either. As it happens, some Americans will (maybe?) keep their old health insurance plans for an additional year, but many more will lose them at the worst possible time. Guy explains:
Coming in '14: Adverse selection, more cancellation letters, widespread premium hikes. O can try to blame that on someone else. He can try.
— Guy Benson (@guypbenson) November 14, 2013
A one year (likely infeasible) extension. What happens next year? Cancellation notices/rate adjustments announced in early fall.
— Guy Benson (@guypbenson) November 14, 2013
Imagine: Congressional Democrats enter the home stretch of their respective campaigns and...cancellation notices start piling up. Happy early retirement, guys!
Also, I must disagree with the DNC Chairwoman’s appraisal of the Virginia gubernatorial race. The only reason the contest was even remotely close was because of Obamacare. Multiple polls showed Governor-elect Terry McAuliffe with a gargantuan, double digit lead two weeks before Election Day. Then, suddenly, his popularity cratered -- and Ken Cuccinelli near won. It’s not a mystery why. The Obamacare rollout failure coupled with the fact Americans across the country were receiving cancellation notices (and losing their doctors) made the race interesting, despite Cuccinelli's overwhelming spending disadvantage and Democrats’ effective media strategy.
If DWS and other Democrats are using the Virginian race as evidence Obamacare is a good thing, I think they're in trouble. If anything, McAuliffe’s narrow victory proves Obamacare is political loser, something Red States Democrats are slowly starting to learn.