Why Dems on the fence should support healthcare reform

I understand unruly town meetings with the Tea Party anger. I get that legislating a big, complex issue is truly hard. I get that nearly every one of the 535 members of the House and Senate would change something in the proposed healthcare legislation.

Most of all, I get the politics of casting a vote that generates opposition from almost any angle (even though, as I wrote in a Pundits Blog post, a thorough analysis of poll data indicates a widespread desire to reform healthcare).

But the question for some Democrats who represent Republican-leaning districts is a simple one: Do you enhance your reelection chances by joining the Republican leadership and killing healthcare reform?

Does it help you to go home this November and maintain that we have scrapped the whole effort, that we have killed healthcare reform for yet another generation? That, of course, is exactly what the Republican mantra “start over” really means. Does it improve your chances or do you simply find yourself getting swept out by the Republicans?

Any members of the House or Senate who believe that the Republican Party will “go easy on them” if they vote against healthcare reform should join the tooth fairy brigade.

Any members who suspect that they won’t get a strong challenger or their opponent won’t raise the money needed or that they will sway voters to their side with such a vote, gives new meaning to the word naïve.

But the real argument for supporting this upcoming legislation is that by passing a truly historic advance in solving one of our most vexing problems it will give the Democrats something large to campaign on in November.

Members do not want to go back to their states and districts with the slogan, “We failed,” or “Nothing much accomplished” or “Reelect me, I’ll do better next time.”

If health reform fails, all will get tarred with the same brush, the do-nothing, gridlocked Congress. Who does that benefit? Not the Democrats in charge, that is for sure. And that is precisely what the Republicans are counting on — they want to sink healthcare because they believe that it is politically expedient. All political campaign, all the time.

Most of the Republicans in the summit at Blair House had no interest in advancing any kind of legislation. They did not want to compromise on substantive points, even when there was serious agreement, to forge a bill. After all, there was no interest when they were in charge under President Bush.

So for Democrats in tough political races I would argue not only is this the right thing to do for the future of this nation, but it is the right thing to do for November. It is a strong issue to campaign on. It is a very serious accomplishment that makes a very serious difference in the lives of millions of Americans, reduces the deficit and attacks the outrageous, rising cost of healthcare.

At the end of the day, Democrats will benefit from having the courage of their convictions. Voters do get that.

Fenn is a veteran communications strategist and a contributor to The Hill’s Pundits Blog.

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