Marc Yacht
Will opposing forces ever get to YES, or will the growing ideological chasms ultimately tear down America?
First, curtail the use of labels. Tagging Americans liberals, conservatives, tea partiers, communists, socialists, or libertarians draws attention away from needed discourse and rallies individuals based on group affiliation.
If one is for something as a liberal, then someone is against it as a conservative. Pundits have fueled this environment. However, citizens have a responsibility to weigh the facts. Judge a concern on its merits, not by which camp fostered it.
Opposing forces must have credibility when concerns are aired. Recently, rock singer Ted Nugent, a right-wing ideologue, called President Obama a “subhuman mongrel.” Such an outrageous comment undermines what might be legitimate concerns from ultra-conservatives.
Nugent’s utterance may play well to a minority of anti-government extremists, but mainstream Republicans, independents and Democrats cringe at such a comment. Every single Republican should have screamed outrage after Nugent made this asinine remark.
Conservatives have legitimate concerns about deficit spending and streamlining regulations. Many business owners are buried in paperwork. Progress on these fronts is undermined when a bill comes out of the Republican Legislature in Arizona giving business owners the right to refuse service to gays based on religious grounds. This falls under the category of, “What are you thinking?”
Fortunately, Gov. Jan Brewer vetoed the bill. Business leaders warned her that if the bill became law, the state’s lucrative tourism industry would suffer badly. The corporate community saw the boycotts coming. When a Republican Legislature passes such a bill, it damages the credibility of sensible right-wing policies.
Florida’s rarely takes a back seat to “Crazy Politics.” Several Florida restaurant chains are now making customers pay an Obamacare fee on their check. There is no cost to these restaurants until 2015.
This idiotic anti-Obamacare card has been played before with terrible results. If the chains were smart, they would simply increase their prices a bit and avoid the political statement.
Not only have they alienated Democrats with this caper but also independents and probably many Republicans. The surcharge will drive away customers, reduce tips for waitresses, and cause a lot of head shaking from patrons. A few extremists will support the actions but I suspect these chains will damage their businesses by making their anti-Obamacare statement.
I have many concerns with Obamacare. Administrative costs are not satisfactorily addressed. It protects private insurer premiums and inadequately addresses profiteering.
However, it ends insurer abuses and has insured 6 million previously uninsured citizens. Obamacare needs tweaking. Forty-three attempts to scuttle it have not enhanced the Republican brand.
It’s important to pick fights carefully. Outrageous actions like Nugent’s comment, an Obamacare surcharge and Arizona’s anti-gay bill make it difficult to muster the support needed for legitimate Republican issues. There are many.
Dr. Yacht is a semi-retired physician living in Hudson, Florida.
