The Fine Line

POL 213-

In an article published by Bloomberg.com on September 14, Edwin Chen and Aliza Marcus gave an overview of the ongoing competition among the top Democratic presidential candidates to come up with a workable health insurance plan for the nation. It seems that Hillary Clinton, John Edwards, and Barack Obama each plan to endorse at least some type of mandatory insurance.

For Senator Obama, the coverage would apply only to children, while former Senator Edwards has espoused a plan for full coverage of all U.S. citizens. Senator Clinton plans to reveal her plan for comprehensive coverage in a speech in Iowa today, but it will most likely have a more practical framework than Senator Edwards’. He opted to create a government-backed system that would compete with private firms, making insurance a viable option for anyone.

The authors hold that Clinton’s choice to ride the fine line between these two plans is an “attempt to convert a potential liability into an asset while opponents seek to make it a fatal flaw.” She faces the backlash from an early 90’s proposal in which she espoused full coverage while failing to set the stage for such a drastic change and to present a feasible plan. In this case, Clinton may have a fighting chance, since cries to reform the gigantic healthcare system are sounding louder and more frequently than they have in the past.

Her situation gives us a perfect example of someone riding the tide of public opinion in order to solve a particular political problem. Will she crash under the lip of another giant wave as constituents balk at another comprehensive plan? Or will she have enough momentum to cruise along the crest of the election tide?

Clinton does maintain a couple of distinct advantages in the insurance plan turmoil. It was certainly in her best interests to delay revealing any kind of plan until after her opponents had the chance to do so first. Her experience with the thwarted earlier attempt also gives her much more experience than any of the other candidates. In July, 65% of Americans stated that they held a “great deal” or a “fair amount” of confidence in her ability to tackle this issue. The election question certainly will not be determined without considering this hot-button topic of health insurance. The candidate able to win the crowd with his proposal looks to gain a significant lead in the polls.