Many pundits watching the health care debate in Washington D.C. often focus on moderate Democrats in both the Senate and in the House of Representatives. Many of these members of Congress are cognizant of the importance of health care to their constituents and they are aware that a tough election could await them in less than fourteen months if they vote for liberal health care reform that their constituents oppose. However, as the debate continues in our nation's capital and with many turning against Obama's health care plans, it seems that some liberal Democrats should also be aware of the risks that their support for major health care reform could create in their re-election bids. One such liberal Democrat is California Senator Barbara Boxer, who may face a tough challenge from Republicans next year.
Carly Fiorina, who will likely be competing with Chuck Devore for the Republican nomination for Boxer's Senate seat, recently discussed health care with the publisher of the conservative California website Flash Report. Fiorina, who as the publisher of that site noted recently missed the California Republican Party's fall convention because of the cancer treatment she is receiving, is an advocate for individuals, not government employees making health care decisions. The Flash Report article quoted her as saying that "Many decisions about healthcare will be the most personal, complex decisions that someone makes - everyone sees their decisions differently and people will make different decisions about their health care."[# More #]
As a person who has been forced to make tough health care decisions herself, Fiorina can make a strong case that government-run health care will not work. Although she may or may not end up being the Republican nominee against Boxer, Fiorina will likely continue to speak about her own experiences with health care and how those experiences have affected her view on how best to better our nation's health care system.
Even though California is a blue state and Boxer leads in some early polls, the issue of health care and Republicans like Fiorina speaking out about it could ultimately even affect the reelection campaigns of liberals from blue states like Senator Boxer.