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David Frum Blames Tea Party, Fox, GOP for Health Care Waterloo

by Susan Marie Kovalinsky | March 23, 2010 at 11:31 am

807 views | 21 Recommendations | 2 comments

Conservatives and Republicans admit that Sunday's vote in favour of the health care reform bill delivered "a defeat of free market economics and Republican values" and a virtual "Waterloo."

David Frum says if conservatives attempt to console themselves with the idea that the House will flip in 2010, it is still a terrible blow.

Frum points out that by November the economy will have improved and the benefits of the health care bill will be in effect. The Huffington Post calls it a victory for Democratic legislation and proof the Tea Partiers and GOP are ineffectual.

Frum adds, "Legislative majorities come and go. This health care bill is forever. A win in November is very poor compensation for this debacle now."

Frum says the GOP downplayed the fact that the liberal block is bigger, more robust, and more powerful than under Clinton in '93-94. The Democrats did not forget their Waterloo of 1994 and had learned the lessons of history.

David Frum says, "We followed the most radical voices in the party and the movement, and they led us to abject and irreversible defeat.

Frum lays the blame on Tea Party Fox News pundits.

Conservative talkers on Fox and talk radio had whipped the Republican voting base into such a frenzy that deal-making was rendered impossible. How do you negotiate with somebody who wants to murder your grandmother? Or – more exactly – with somebody whom your voters have been persuaded to believe wants to murder their grandmother?

So today’s defeat for free-market economics and Republican values is a huge win for the conservative entertainment industry. Their listeners and viewers will now be even more enraged, even more frustrated, even more disappointed in everybody except the responsibility-free talkers on television and radio. For them, it’s mission accomplished. For the cause they purport to represent, it’s Waterloo all right: ours.

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Rory Cripps

at 11:49 on March 23rd, 2010

I think Frum needs to give his analysis a little more analysis! LOL! When he speaks of the economy improving by November 2010 and the benefits of the health care reform legislation kicking in he obviously fails to realize that virtually none of this will kick in.

Yes! It is irreversible! That's one of the reasons why the majority of American voters continue to be against the health care reform legislation.

Oh well . . .whatcha gonna do? The pendulum will swing back to the right in 2010.

t k kidwai

at 19:20 on March 23rd, 2010

Rory,how do you presume or take it for granted that majority of Americans are against health care reforms?Opinion polls are hoax and humbug.I think that health care reform is prelude to many reforms in future.As a matter of fact,American economic system needs a lot of reforms.Neo-cons,real and undisputed representatives of 'evil' on earth, are biting dust for the moment and hope clock of historty would be put back to the same hours,minutes and seconds when their policies initiated destruction of American society.