This is one of the reasons liberalism enjoys its moments of political ascendancy, but never really takes hold as a philosophy the nation accepts on an enduring basis. Simply put: One of the cures for liberalism is when its advocates find they have to live with its consequences.
When ObamaCare was passed in 2010, Democrats across the nation embraced it almost unanimously because they've always been in favor of "universal health care," and while ObamaCare was not quite the single-payer system most of them really want, it was the biggest step in that direction they'd ever had the opportunity to take.
But many liberals are actually two people. There is the assortment of opinions they hold in the abstract about how society should be. And then there's the individual who has a job, has a family, has to deal with the cost of living . . . and has a health insurance policy. Put that law in effect for the nation as a whole, but I'm good, bro.
Or so you thought:
A new poll by Morning Consult found that 60 percent of Democrats are worried their employers will move them to health plans under the Obamacare exchanges because they believe it will lead to worse coverage.
The survey found that 72 percent of Republicans and 53 percent of independents felt the same way.
“Across all parties, respondents believe that the shift to health insurance exchanges will have a negative impact on the quality of health coverage,” the report stated.
The fear on the part of the Democrats is particularly interesting given that one of the biggest liberal arguments for Obamacare was that switching to the exchanges would allow workers more job freedom and the ability to change jobs without fear of losing healthcare coverage. It was opponents of Obamacare that insisted that the exchanges would lead to worse coverage.
An incredible 42 percent of Democrats said they would consider leaving their job if their employer switched them to the Obamacare exchanges, a move that the law incentivizes companies to do.
They have good reason for their fear. As Herman told you the other day, ObamaCare is actually designed to beat up employers who offer generous health insurance plans until they downgrade. When these Democrat voters were enthusiastically backing ObamaCare four years ago, I'm guessing most of them either didn't realize that or didn't quite put two and two together so as to recognize that this meant them.
Like all liberal economic policies, ObamaCare is designed to equalize everything according to a standard set by politicians. Despite their carping about the plight of the poor (which could be addressed in much more targeted and focused ways), the truth is that most people are fully capable of creating positive circumstances for their own lives, and don't appreciate being forcibly downgraded in the service of "equality."
Eventually a fair number of liberals are shocked to learn that the policies they advocate will force them to pay this price, and they don't like it. I'm not suggesting this will turn them all into Republican voters overnight. Many have left-wing political tendencies that are set in so hard, they can scarcely even think in terms of the free market being a better option. Instead, they think the answer must lie in some sort of new, politically driven tweak to the same insane policy that is actually the problem in the first place.
But the fact remains that liberal policies can never bring about the unrestrained elation Democrats dream of (and try to sell to the public), because inevitably they screw people in large numbers, and you always end up with a lot of disenchantment that you didn't anticipate - often among your own supporters.
ObamaCare apologists insist "the law is here to stay," if only because they figure it's too hard to take away a benefit once you've granted it to people. I think they're wrong, but even if they're right, it's a pretty tepid endorsement of a law to argue we're stuck with it because it's too hard to get rid of it. That's a universe away from saying, "Everyone loves it!" Because they sure as hell know that's not the case. Even a majority of them don't love it when they realize what it's going to do to them.
