McCain to Double Down on His Losing Health Care Strategy

John McCain Doubles Down on His Loser’s Strategy; Never Learns

John McCain is everywhere this post-healthcare reform passage morning. McCain is apparently feelin’ rather badly for himself and his party, as his main message today is “Everything we did wrong in the last year, we’re going to do more of! We’re going to run on repealing healthcare reform. We’re not going to be a part of any solutions. And lastly, I am bringing Palin back for another Hail Mary next week.”

It’s almost as if he learned nothing in the last 18 months.

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First he took his pity party to the tee-vee, where he transparently whined, “with all this inside the beltway champagne toasting, outside the beltway the American people are very angry and we’re going to try to repeal this …there’s going to be a heavy price to pay for it.”

In other words, “It’s not fair! Barry is more popular than me and he has better toys. Instead of making my own friends, I’m going to kick him!”

Spite is not an attractive quality. Sure, it has to hurt to see the person you lost to toasting a major victory, which all but assures his reelection in 2012. But don’t you ever wonder if the Republicans skipped out on nursery school, where most of us are socialized to learn to share and cooperate so that we can be good citizens?

McCain appears unable to comprehend his loss and the reasons for it. It’s as if instead of examining his mistakes during the campaign, he’s embraced them. And indeed, he’s now doubling down on them. McCain proved he is hell bent on self-destruction with his declaration that the GOP will repeal the healthcare bill, including the health insurance reforms, even claiming that “The American people want us to stop and start over by 2-1 margin.” Who are these American people? Are they the “majority” of Real Merikuns who mysteriously failed to show up at the voting booth in 2008? Or maybe he got this 2-1 number from Palin’s Facebook page, that gracious host of the largest healthcare bill lies?

Even if this were a good strategy (and it’s not), on what planet is the GOP in charge right now? Republicans always act as if they speak for Americans, when clearly they do not. They have been out of touch with everyday Americans for quite a while now, actually. And this is part of why they lost in 2008.

Back during the Reign of Terror, when Republicans really were in charge, they never addressed the healthcare crisis. Healthcare reform is not on their platform, unless one believes (against all evidence) that tort reform is the same as healthcare reform. They were too busy deregulating the banking and insurance industries to address the coming fiscal iceberg of the healthcare crisis.

If the GOP really were in charge right now, healthcare reform would have never been an issue because it would not have happened. And if they really plan on running on repealing healthcare reform, they won’t be in charge for a long time to come. A happier day for this country I cannot imagine…but still. Their obtuseness and arrogance is truly clinical at this point.

McCain also announced today that Republicans would not play with Democrats all year now, out of poutraged revenge. Well, er, they haven’t been playing, so this isn’t new, but is this really their plan for success?

“Democrats shouldn’t expect much cooperation from Republicans the rest of this year, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) warned Monday….

“There will be no cooperation for the rest of the year,” McCain said during an interview Monday on an Arizona radio affiliate. “They have poisoned the well in what they’ve done and how they’ve done it.””

I don’t know about you, but I’m always so scared when McCain warns me about stuff. There’s nothing like an impotent peacock strutting over the fallen feathers of his heyday to remind us all of our own fragility…. And by the way, I’m still waiting for him to tell us where Bin Laden is, too. Country First!

Yes, it’s entirely the Democrats fault that the Republicans refused to come to the table with a legitimate, viable plan. Sorta like how women ask to be raped by wearing a short skirt (unless they’re running for Vice President, in which case, you are expected to be titillated enough to forgive the utter lack of knowledge and ability of said candidate).

So, the GOP plan per McCain is to run on repealing healthcare, being obstructionists, and what next? A 2008 redoux! He’s looking forward to campaigning with Palin next week. Aigh.

McCain screams his violated entitlement and blind bitterness with every objection to an Obama success. McCain doubling down on his previously failed strategies perfectly exemplifies the GOP’s confusion as progress threatens their assumed inherent, god-given privilege. They keep doing the same thing over and over again while expecting different results.

Country first, indeed, Senator.

Sarah Jones

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