Revamping the Democrats’ Image: Addressing the Discontent with ObamaCare and Other Insights

Liberal: How to Revitalize the Democratic Brand

Democrats “should reflect on how the party bounced back during its previous period of struggle,” suggests Al From at The Bulwark. “In 1985, I collaborated with a coalition of governors, senators, and representatives to create the Democratic Leadership Council.” By 1990, “Bill Clinton took the reins as chairman of the DLC” and successfully helped to end “the Democrats’ losing streak,” achieving victories in the popular vote during seven elections from 1992 to 2020. The strategy? We “strengthened Democratic positions on economic issues, crime, and national security” while setting aside “narrow interest group and identity politics” and being unafraid to “engage in essential party conflicts.” “Future Democratic leaders can gain valuable insights by examining the strategies that led to the DLC’s success.”

Conservative: Even Progressives Now Critique ObamaCare

“Progressives are finally recognizing that ObamaCare has shortcomings,” evident from their “outbursts on social media against insurers, spurred by the tragic death” of United Healthcare’s CEO Brian Thompson, observes The Wall Street Journal’s Allysia Finley. A CBS medical commentator also noted that “health care has become increasingly inaccessible and expensive,” leading to “justifiable frustrations” among the public, as a recent Gallup poll reveals that only 44% of Americans now rate U.S. healthcare as good or excellent, down from 62% when Democrats enacted ObamaCare in 2010. The rationale is clear: “The U.S. is expending $2 trillion more on healthcare” compared to pre-ObamaCare, yet “Americans are not healthier.” Moreover, for younger individuals who seldom utilize their insurance, the Obama law’s mandatory coverage remains “virtually worthless unless facing a major emergency.”

From the Right: Patel is an Ideal Choice for FBI Director

“The nomination of Kash Patel as FBI director by President-elect Trump has ignited a wave of criticism,” quips Rep. Devin Nunes at Fox News, who reminisces about Patel’s dedicated efforts in “exposing the evidence that the entire Russia collusion saga was a hoax financed by the Democratic Party and the Hillary Clinton campaign, weaponized by our own intelligence and law enforcement agencies.” Even when faced with threats from high-ranking Department of Justice officials, Patel remained “fearless, systematic, and smart.” To lead an FBI that will “evolve into a reliable, impartial law enforcement body that diligently pursues criminals rather than political adversaries,” “Kash is undoubtedly the ideal candidate for the position.”

Final Frontier: A Journey to Titan — Perhaps Forever

In “another achievement for Elon Musk’s launch company,” reports Mark R. Whittington at The Hill, NASA has selected the “SpaceX Falcon Heavy to launch the Dragonfly aerial probe to Titan,” which is expected to “shorten the time it will take for Dragonfly to reach Titan.” SpaceX’s “unyielding determination to lower costs and enhance the reliability of space launches” has also rendered the Artemis lunar return program feasible, simultaneously enhancing planetary missions. Once Dragonfly arrives “in 2034, following a six-year journey,” it will investigate “using eight rotor blades as a fully functional vertical takeoff and landing drone” to “explore one of the most mysterious celestial bodies within our solar system.” Who can say? “Children of today might witness, in their later years, settlers facing the bitter cold and perilous conditions of the most extraordinary new domains, like Titan.”

Libertarian: A Step Forward for Small Business

“Last week, a federal judge in Texas issued a temporary restraining order against a new mandate requiring small businesses to disclose their owners to the federal government,” applauds Reason’s J.D. Tuccille. The judge found the law “made no effort to provide constitutional justification” for the requirement. This is positive news: “Numerous small businesses remain unacquainted with the intrusive regulation” which carries hefty penalties enacted through the Corporate Transparency Act established in 2021, slated to begin in January. This follows a related federal court decision that issued a nationwide injunction against the CTA — although the Biden administration “plans to challenge the ruling,” meaning “the battle over the CTA’s constitutionality continues.” For now, “let’s celebrate a much-needed pushback against government encroachments into our lives.”

— Compiled by The Post Editorial Board