submandave

There should be grave personal consequences for those Democrats who go against the wishes of their constituency and vote for whatever bill it is that eventually leads to enactment of Obamacare. This is especially true for those who are deemed "Blue Dogs." This has been repeated communicated and, at this point, any Congressman who is determined to votes "Yea" in the face of these warnings is beyond redemption and further entreaties are wasted efforts. Having sufficiently brandished the stick, it is now the time for Republicans and conservatives to whip out their carrots in order to try and convince the undecided why it is a good idea to vote "Nay."

First, how much is defeating this effort worth? Personally, I believe it's worth quite a bit. With this in mind, I would encourage every Republican, Libertarian, or conservative represented by one of the current fence-sitters to communicate to their representative how voting against the bill personally benefits them. Let them know, in no uncertain terms, that supporting their vote transcends party or philosophical boundaries. Let them know that their "Nay" in March directly translates to your "Yea" in November. Let them know that in 2010 you are a one-issue voter and regardless of how you may have voted in the past, should they help defeat this massive government grab, you'll be voting for a Democrat for House this year. Let them know that with the right vote now you will pledge give their opponent neither time nor money. What can Pelosi et. al. (who very possibly may be out of power next year, after all) offer them that is better than an easy reelection.

This vote happens once, but there will be another Congressional election in 2012. I don't care how much you want to claim that seat, it's worth it to grant the Democrat incumbent a two-year breather to kill this effort.

Labels: congress, election, healthcare