Time for the GOP to Grow a Pair on Healthcare
Derek Hunter
It seems like a lifetime ago, mostly because it was, when I was a health policy analyst at a conservative think tank. During my interview for the job, my future boss said something true then, and it still rings true today: On the issue of health care, Democrats are evil and Republicans are stupid.
While Republicans are, generally, stupid on health care, it doesn’t have to be that way. Republican Members of Congress view health care as a “Democrat issue,” much the way Democrats view national defense as a Republican one. It’s not like they can’t understand the issues involved, it’s that they’re afraid to – they’re afraid to get out over their skis. They have the mental capacity, but more content in the back of their underpants than the front to really engage with it.
Having briefed Republicans on the issue, I can tell you that (at least 20 years ago, though I see no reason to think things have changed) they only wanted enough knowledge to talk about it from a 30,000-foot level and for just long enough to say they did and get away.
I get it, in a way, it’s a very complex issue and rife with ways to come off like a fool or uncaring, neither of which does an elected official any good. But looking indifferent or like a coward is probably worse.
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https://townhall.com/columnists/derekhunter/2025/12/21/time-for-the-gop-to-grow-a-pair-on-health-care-n2668248
