Do the Republicans Have a Plan?

The Republicans plan to repeal the Patient Protection Affordable Care Act if they ever regain control of the House, the Senate, and the Presidency.  That doesn't constitute a plan though.  A plan would have to be a detailed procedure for shutting Obamacare off, including dealing with the people that lost their health care coverage and have pre-existing conditions.  The Republicans also need to figure out how to deal with the folks whose coverage has already been changed to a PPACA compliant policy that costs a lot more than their old plan.

I still remember the Contract with America that was used as a Republican campaign tool in the 1994 mid-term election during Bill Clinton's first term.  That plan was devised by Newt Gingrich and Dick Armey, and the voters were told what they would get if they voted Republican.  Ten legislative goals were laid out in enough specificity to get the attention of voters.  The Republicans won in a landslide, taking control of the House and the Senate.  This is what the Republicans need to do again with this election.

I've heard plenty of campaign advertisements being run by the incumbent Republicans lately.  Specifically, Mitch McConnell's ads are big on generalities with no specifics.  All of us want to know what we will get with a Republican majority after the upcoming election.  The bills they plan to introduce and pass should be published weeks before the election, so we can study them.  They should be brief and to the point.  Obamacare is a huge monstrosity that ten lawyers couldn't figure out in six months.  It needs to be replaced with simple, common sense reforms of the health care system.  These reforms shouldn't be all encompassed in one massive bill that gives legislators an "all or nothing" choice.  Each reform should be a separate bill that stands alone and can be considered on its on merits.  Hopefully the legislators will consider the pros and cons of each reform and choose to individually accept or reject each one.

Bills should be created in committees with members of both parties negotiating to find the best solution for the American people.  Legislating is not supposed to be about screwing the other party or taking 100% credit by one party.  Americans are sick of the politics and the MessAPolitico feathering their own nests at the expense of our country.  Why can't we find a reform that is good for America and that legislators on both sides of the aisle will support?

The Patient Protection Affordable Care Act is seen as some sort of great achievement of Barack Obama, Harry Reid, and Nancy Pelosi.  Even in the face of intense opposition to the bill by the American people, the MessAPolitico won't turn back.  They can't stop this great accomplishment that they see as their legacy.  The American people don't give a damn about a politician's legacy.  And you have to wonder what happens to their legacies if the Republicans succeed in regaining control of the federal government in the next two elections.  If Obamacare is repealed, the legacy they are guarding will be gone.  That means history will say that Barack Obama had a failed presidency.  The Democrats that are running the Senate and the White House still have the opportunity to spend the next six months replacing Obamacare with new bills as I have described above.  In my opinion, that is the only way they can retain control of the Senate.

It is highly unlikely that Harry Reid or Barack Obama will concede that the PPACA is the MessAPolitico that it is.  The Republicans can wait until November rolls around and hope that America will turn over the Senate to them as the lesser of two evils.  Or the Republicans can develop a legislative strategy to get this thing fixed.  They can run on the 2014 contract with America.  Their strategic plan should include tactics that address all contingencies.  That means figuring out how to negotiate a win for America even if the Democrats retain control of the Senate in 2014 and/or the Presidency in 2016.  How will they use control of the budget to stop implementation of bills they don't like?  Are there other ways to stop the liberal MessAPolitico?  Will they work with the more conservative Democrats to craft bipartisan legislation?  Can they possibly get some of their legislative initiatives passed even without control of the entire government?

The Republicans today have a major hindrance, and it is poor leadership.  There are plenty of good Republicans in Washington, but everyone isn't united in a common purpose.  They don't believe they can ever get a conservative bill to pass unless they get control of all three branches of government.  It just isn't true.  I will say this to all Republican politicians out there:

• Develop a mission statement for the Republican party
• Get together and analyze the state of the union, identifying problems
• Develop alternative solutions to each of the problems
• Create a strategic plan for fixing these problems
• Show us your plan as you campaign
• Make this a national effort or possibly a national plea to the American voters

Do this, and you are guaranteed to take back America.