Forget the media narratives that say Democrats could lose because of their support for Obamacare. While that convenient narrative is easy for beltway reporters to regurgitate, it is not supported by polling evidence. Polling data suggests that contrary to the dominant narrative, health care is a winning issue for Democrats not Republicans. This has become especially apparent in the many contests for Governorships across the country.
Recent polling done by Public Policy Polling (PPP) shows that five incumbent Republican Governors who oppose Medicaid expansion are in danger o losing their bids or re-election. Not surprisingly, Maine Republican Paul LePage and Pennsylvania Republican Tom Corbett trail in their bids for re-election as their right-wing policies are far out of line with their blue-leaning electorates. However, even in Georgia and Kansas, Republican incumbents are losing to Democratic challengers. Even in these deep red states, a solid majority of voters want their Governors to expand Medicaid.
No Governor has made opposition to Medicaid expansion more a cornerstone of his campaign than Rick Scott in Florida. Yet, by a 58-33 margin, Florida voters want their Governor to accept the federal funding for Medicaid expansion. More than four in ten Florida voters say Rick Scott’s dogmatic opposition to Medicaid expansion makes them less likely to vote or him. In a head to head match-up with Democrat Charlie Crist, Rick Scott is losing 49-42 percent. GOP opposition to Medicaid expansion will prove to be Rick Scott’s undoing.
The pattern is repeated in state after state. Maine’s Paul LePage, another fierce opponent of Medicaid expansion, trails Democrat Michael Michaud 44-37. If not for left-leaning Independent Elliot Cutler polling at 14 percent, LePage would be losing by double digits. As bad as Rick Scott and Paul LePage are doing, they at least are not as hopelessly doomed as Pennsylvania’s Tom Corbett. The Republican Keystone state Governor is poised to be crushed in a blowout of epic proportions this November. He currently trails a hypothetical Democratic opponent by a punishing 56-34 margin.
Two additional Governors who oppose Medicaid expansion are losing much closer races. However, given that they are in Kansas and Georgia, this should serve as little consolation to the GOP. In Georgia, Jason Carter (D) holds a narrow 43-42 edge over Governor Nathan Deal (R). In Kansas, a state which Barack Obama lost by 22 points to Mitt Romney in 2012, Democratic candidate Paul Davis is leading Sam Brownback 45-41.
Republican Governors and their surrogates will continue to argue that Democrats are losing the debate on health care, but they do so at their own peril. Republican Governors who rejected the federal Medicaid expansion face being rejected by voters in November. From Tallahassee to Topeka, the GOP’s policies blocking health care access to low-income residents is set to backfire at the polls. For constituents in need of affordable medical care, November 2014 cannot come soon enough.
Keith Brekhus is a progressive American who currently resides in Red Lodge, Montana. He is co-host for the Liberal Fix radio show. He holds a Master’s Degree in Sociology from the University of Missouri. In 2002, he ran for Congress as a Green Party candidate in the state of Missouri. In 2014, he worked as a field organizer for Democrat Ann Kirkpatrick’s successful re-election bid in Arizona’s 1st Congressional District. He can be followed on Twitter @keithbrekhus or on Facebook.
Has well as it should. Every damn one of them that’s blocking medicade expansion for their political purposes do not deserve to be reelected. They need to be on the sidelines thinking about how they fuc*ed up, how they played with peoples lives, how they left billions of government dollars on the table.
There’s an old saying, “If you find yourself in a hole it’s time to stop digging.” In the case of these fine fellows I say give them a bigger shovel. People are screaming for health care and these arrogant politicians continue to tow the party line.
The Dems may not get control of the House in November but I believe we will hold the Senate and I think there will be a sweep in the Governor races. In 2010 our state elected Susana Martinez as Governor. The first repugnant in forever. She talked a good game and pandered to the voters but she has been a disaster. It shows her ahead in the polls but I can’t figure out who they’re asking because people are fed up with her. The repugnants are eyeing her as another Palin in 2016. They can have her, good riddance.
Its too bad Haslam wont lose his job in Tennessee. Perhaps its time for these morons to understand that going far right to appeal to people with tea bags hanging from their hats only appeals to a small number
It is of utmost importance that Dems begin the process of regaining prominence in the state legislations and governorships – this is where the conservatives have been able to do the most harm in the past five years, it’s time to begin reversing the ridiculous and damaging pieces of legislation that have taken rights away from people: voting, health care, jobs, infrastructure, etc.
I hope this is the same case in Texas and Georgia. Governor Davis and Governor Carter.
What we cannot understand on this side of the pond is how have the united states declined so much over the years to be one of the most un-caring nations on earth. We have a conservative led government but that doesn’t mean we wont care for the sick the elderly or the poor in our country, and it’s free at the point of purpose, It’s paid for throughout our working lives with national insurance contributions paid by us and our employer and we can be treated anywhere in the European Union for free. nothing is perfect but it’s been in place since the end of the 2nd world war, and no government of any colour would think of messing with the service, it would be political suicide. So the question is why are the G O P so against helping those less off than themselves, my guess is our government is not run by corporate companies with lobbyists like the Koch brothers, Walmart and Monsanto paying millions in hand outs to get the laws pasted that only benefit themselves, it’s criminal.
Billionaire Bill Haslam may be under indictment with Senator Bob Corker by election time – hopefully. Twenty subpoenas went out yesterday from UAW on the Chattanooga union hijack.
Cross your fingers.
Shiva, as someone who is in the middle of Downtown and see the protests of various groups at the Capitol, the Baggers have the least amount. The biggest problem we have is the General Assembly which is so gerrymandered it is difficult to remove all the 2010 Baggers.
To answer your question Terry, it is greed, pure unadulterated greed. It isn’t that the GOP doesn’t want health care. They could care less. They answer to the corporations and lobbyists who stuff the politicians pockets full of money. It goes from the top down. Prescriptions are outrageously expensive. Doctors and hospitals are outrageously expensive. Insurance the same way.
Obama is bucking the system with the ACA and it defies the status quo. I take Humira and without insurance a months supply is $2,502.00. That is two shots for one month. Since I can’t do without it they charge whatever they can. Luckily I have Humana Insurance which after a $150.00 deductible it costs me $6.50 a month.
You may not know Charlene, but she was a hard-working, loving mother and someone’s best friend that I know. She was a Florida resident. Now she has three young children who have no mother. MEDICAID expansion would have helped her – live saving meds and care. Instead, she died in a strangers home while selling vacuums from a massive heart attack at age 32. I would like to punch Rick Scott and the Florida GOP in the face.
http://www.msnbc.com/politicsnation/watch/-almost-awesome-in-its-evilness–221719619953
The bad thing in Kansas is that the legislative body just passed a bill stating that our governor cannot expand medicaid without their vote fist, so in the end it may not matter who wins the seat as the legislative body is full of ACA haters. I have yet to understand their rationale for wanting to let thousands of our citizens go without appropriate health care that could prevent chronic illnesses getting worse, even possibly leading to catastrophic results. Mentally ill people are doing without their medications. And people who might be more productive are held back because of untreated illnesses and chronic diseases. It is one thing to have a community clinic that charges based on income, but it does not alleviate the fact that the cost of medications can become prohibitive in their care, and the community clinics do not provide specialized services that many people need.
talk to the tea party and ask them why….if they told the truth, they would say in large part to the black man we now have as our President. They hate runs so deep.
My big question there is: Are these governors losing because of Medicaid expansion or are they losing because they handled their jobs like petulant children? Deal screwed up the response to the polar vortex and turned the 12 lane interstate heading to Atlanta into a parking lot due to his inaction. Rick Scott has had economic problems as well as his problems due to the SYG law and his response to it. Brownback unconstitutionally cut the funding for education so much that he was forced to reinstate it due to the legal challenge….
Theres others but there is not enough room to type all of it. Lets just say that republicans are going for broke with the BS in one way or another. Must be something in the water nowdays in these red states right? I think the ACA is just one of many when it comes to the reasons why these republicans are behind. They are trying to out-crazy each other like no other. That is the reason period.
My state lawmakers here in GA did the same thing, Gary–took the power away from the governor to expand Medicaid, even thought a recent poll shows that most Georgians favor Medicaid expansion. There was a precious little girl’s mother at the state capitol in the last days of the session this year who was pleading for the lawmakers to act on medical marijuana oil to prevent her daughter’s seizures. These tools found the time to pass a “guns everywhere bill” and the bill to thwart Medicaid expansion, but they didn’t have “time” to deal with the medical marijuana bill. Deal is now advocating a “trial study” of the benefits of medical marijuana, a clear waste of time and a favor for a buddy who owns a private research facility. Info already exists which shows the benefits of medical marijuana. This is a move to make himself appear less callous in an election year. I didn’t vote for him in 2010, and I won’t be voting for the corrupt, heartless b*stard this year, either.
Fix the sloppy writing making liberal sites look foolish. “In danger o losing their bids or re-election. ” How can a spell/grammar check program NOT pick up that obvious mistake like a few lines in???