Dems should ignore Bob Novak’s advice about health care

During the Dems’ big South Carolina debate on Saturday night, candidates spent a lot of time discussing health care policy. Gephardt, in particular, was anxious to discuss the merits of his plan for universal health care and defend the proposal against criticism from several rivals.

The next day, conservative columnist Bob Novak was on Meet the Press to whine acerbically that the Dems should do themselves a favor and shift the presidential debate away from the health care issue. (And if you think Novak is sincerely concerned about giving helpful advice to Dem candidates, I’ve got a bridge to sell you)

“I think [health care] is an incredible losing debate for the Democrats,” Novak said. “Dick Gephardt has gotten a lot of credit because he’s the first candidate to say anything that’s at all interesting, but it’s really a terrible proposal…. It’s a tax increase. That tax cut has already gone into effect, so it’s a tax increase that he’s proposing, a tax increase for national health care, which all the polls indicate is about the least big, the lowest concern of the American voters right now.”

While Novak’s point about whether the Gephardt’s plan necessitates a tax increase is open to debate, but Novak’s assertion that polls indicate a lack of concern about health care is demonstrably false.

Last week, the Washington Post published a poll asking Americans what kind of priority the White House and Congress should give to various issues. The “cost, availability, and coverage” of health care came in as the fourth highest concern of the poll’s respondents, just behind the economy, the campaign against terrorism, and education. In fact, health care came in second (to the economy) among Americans as to which priority should rank “highest” on the political agenda in Washington. Health care finished well above post-war Iraq, taxes, and the environment.

The same poll asked respondents which they preferred, more tax cuts or more federal spending on domestic programs such as education, health care and Social Security. The results weren’t even close — 68% said spend more on these programs, 29% said cut taxes.

Other recent polls reflect the same results. An NBC News poll from April 13 asked Americans which issue should be the top priority for Bush and Congress. Health care came in third, behind the economy and fighting terrorism, with more than four times as many people expressing concern about health care than tax cuts.

In other words, Novak’s assertion that health care is “the lowest concern of the American voters right now” doesn’t reflect the facts.

I’d argue this is due to a bias common among the conservative media elite. Novak probably has excellent health care, as do the people he deals with regularly in conservative political circles on Capitol Hill. As far as he hears from his colleagues and friends, there’s a lot more “talk” about taxes and military strength than concern about rising premiums.

Novak may not realize, or may not care, that 42 million Americans have no health coverage at all. These people are one serious illness away from bankruptcy. In fact, as recently as 2000, half of all bankruptcies filed in the U.S. were a result of health care costs. If a presidential candidate can propose a feasible, realistic plan to expand access to quality health care, there are 42 million Americans who will be thinking about this issue on Election Day — more than enough to sway the outcome.

Novak wants Democratic presidential candidates to think health care is a “losing” issue for the party. I’d recommend that they ignore him.