In Aftermath Of Election Success, Democrats May No Longer View Health Care As A Liability
"There has been a major change here," says Robert Blendon, an expert on public opinion about healthcare at Harvard's Kennedy School. "Democrats for years wouldn't talk about healthcare. … Now, the implication is that if you are a Democrat running in 2018, you can talk about protecting healthcare for millions of Americans."
The Associated Press:
In Election Glow, Dems See Health Care As A Winning Issue
Democrats are starting to see a political edge in health care — particularly the idea of widening Medicaid access for more low-income people — after big election victories Tuesday night. In Virginia, Democrat Ralph Northam promised a vigorous push as governor to expand Medicaid. Voters who said health care was important went decisively for Northam. (Alonso-Zaldivar, 11/9)
The Wall Street Journal:
Democratic Wins Dent Efforts To Roll Back Health Law’s Individual Mandate
Democratic wins in Tuesday’s elections make it less likely that Republicans, as part of their tax package, will seek to repeal the Affordable Care Act’s requirement that most people have health coverage, according to congressional aides. Voters in Maine this week decisively backed a referendum to expand Medicaid under the ACA, and exit polls showed health care was a central issue for Virginians who elected Democrat Ralph Northam as their state’s governor. (Armour and Peterson, 11/8)
Los Angeles Times:
Healthcare, For Years A Political Winner For GOP, Now Powers Democratic Wins
Tuesday's elections don't ensure healthcare will remain a winning issue for Democrats in 2018, when party leaders hope they can retake the majority in at least one chamber of Congress. But the emergence of healthcare as a political liability for Republicans marks a dramatic turnabout for the GOP, which for years reaped huge electoral gains by playing on the unpopularity of the 2010 law. (Levey, 11/8)