“Obamacare”

One thing I’ve noticed is that conservatives like to call whichever health care proposal they’re criticizing at the moment (they oppose all health care proposals because they believe, irrespective of the merits, that a defeat will serve their interests) “Obamacare” even though the proposals are different and often don’t fully reflect the White House point-of-view. What’s interesting about this, to me, is that it’s basically just a tick. The right labeled the Clinton administration’s 1994 proposal “HillaryCare” and they also beat it. So now there’s a new health care debate, so let’s trot out the term “Obamacare.”

Back in the real world, though, Barack Obama is really popular. Probably more popular than any particular health reform initiative. Labeling something “Obamacare” is going to make it more popular. The right should be slagging on Dingellcare and Baucuscare and Doddcare. Nobody knows who those guys are, and people generally take a dim view of members of congress other than their own.