Longtime Republicans torn between party loyalty and Obamacare

[Tony_FLADEM]

(CNN) -- Jill Thacker was dying for a cup of coffee when she recently ran into a 7-Eleven convenience store. To her pleasant surprise, the coffee was free -- as long as she would commit to drinking it in either a red Mitt Romney cup or a blue Barack Obama cup.

"Which are you going to choose, Mom?" her son asked.

Which, indeed. A gun-owning, big-government-hating Republican, Thacker's every instinct told her to buy a Romney cup. But Thacker, 56, and her daughter have asthma -- a pre-existing condition -- and with Obama as president they'll be guaranteed the ability to buy insurance.


- snip -

Campbell, 49, has voted Republican in nearly every presidential election since he cast his vote for Ronald Reagan in 1980, but this year might be different. For two years his 22-year-old stepdaughter, a self-employed dog trainer, didn't have health insurance. Then Obamacare kicked in and she was allowed onto her father's insurance.

"If something had happened to her during those two years it would have been a disaster," Campbell says.

The Olathe, Kansas, resident is leaning toward Obama, but not just because of his stepdaughter. Campbell's wife, Barbara, has diabetes and is in the final stages of breast cancer treatment. She's now on his insurance, but if he ever lost his job, his wife would be faced with trying to buy insurance on her own and would surely be rejected.

"I'm really torn," he said. "Because of Obama, I now have a wife who can get covered. But really, at heart, I'm a limited-government kind of guy."

Campbell said if the election were held today, he'd vote for Obama, but not without a lot of reservations.

- snip -

http://www.cnn.com/2012/10/06/health/republicans-conflicted-obamacare/index.html

[cantbeserious]

1. Always Amazes Me - When The Pain Is Felt By Republicans They Understand - Otherwise They Don't

eom

[LiberalAndProud]

13. It isn't always that.

There are some like that, I'll grant you. But I know a lot of really compassionate and caring Republicans. It's very difficult to separate from a lifelong belief system when the church you attend conflates politics and religion, or your family has always been devoutly Republican, or both. These aren't the famous Independent voters we're all so fascinated with now. Some are people who are, maybe for the first time, coming to grips with the inkling that their party ideology might be flawed. It's hard and it can be heart rending.

[klook]

31. I've known many Republicans who had a heart of gold when it came to

doing compassionate things for individuals, small groups, or organizations of which they were a member. But most of them do not like their tax dollars being used to help large numbers of people they don't know (or approve of).

That's a fundamental difference between Democrats and Republicans, on the whole - most of us love the idea that our collective resources could be pooled to alleviate suffering and improve the lives of millions of others.

[progressoid]

48. Even when they feel the pain, they don't always understand.

I know someone (rabid RWer) that would be dead now if not for Medicare and VA benefits. Yet, he still rails against anything gov't run - including his healthcare. The cognitive dissonance is stunning.

[cantbeserious]

68. I Know, I Know - I Have Lost Patience With Education And Just Turn Away - My Time Is Short

eom

[lalalu]

2. Their "delimma"

is a bit of hypocrisy. They like the benefits for themselves but not for everyone else. Typical republicans.

[Hydra]

5. Right

And when they take those benefits, they aren't taking those benefits, somehow.

Their big nightmare is that someone else is getting something they aren't

They should really look at Romney and the 1% about that- I sure don't get billion dollar welfare handouts...

[Ishoutandscream2]

3. Man, I want to say something really ugly here

But I'll refrain. "Without Obamacare, my family wouldn't be covered. But I'm a limited govt. kind of guy."

[Sekhmets Daughter]

7. That's every republican

They want limited government for other people, not themselves....

[Grins]

25. Rewrite!!!

"Without Obamacare, my daughter wouldn't be covered, my wife would be dead, and I would be in bankruptcy. But I'm a limited govt. kind of guy."

With Rethuglicans it's always the fault of "them", until they are one of "them".

[ecstatic]

50. +1,000,000. nt

[StarlightGold]

59. No kidding

Obamacare helps your child...and they are even hesitating??? They're HESITATING?????

[Hydra]

4. That last part jumped out at me

"I'm really torn," he said. "Because of Obama, I now have a wife who can get covered. But really, at heart, I'm a limited-government kind of guy."

You are SO not a "limited gov't" kind of guy!

I think I want to get a bathtub for Goldwater. Nobody hates programs like SSI, Fire Depts, food regulations, public schools unless they think they're not getting some of the pie.

[treestar]

15. If he were a limited government type, he'd have paid for the insurance or the bills

himself - or accepted that his wife can't get treatment if they can't afford it.

They are indeed hypocrites! They deserve help if they have bad luck. Other people don't.

[OnionPatch]

57. Isn't that the truth!

I have a conservative brother in law whose been out of work for half the year. He happily collects his unemployment check. When I asked my (liberal, thank God) sister how he justifies that, she said because he figures he deserves it. They had that conversation and she had gotten him to admit he believes he deserves it more than "other" people.

[Skittles]

6. LOL, their hypocrisy actually BOTHERS them???

OMG that sounds like they are thinking outside of their dittomasters' box

[Whovian]

8. Lots of things to consider here. Well worth the read and thought. Recommended.

[Zambero]

9. It can be difficult to disavow blind allegiance

I can attest to that, as a former Republican who hung onto a "home team" mentality for some time after I realized that the GOP did not truly represent my personal values, let alone best interests. The final hurdle for this guy is to come to the full realization that he does not favor the type "limited government" that forces people to choose between affordable medical care and financial ruination. He fully appreciates what Obamacare's reforms are doing for his family, but he's not quite over the denial yet. The mere fact that he leans toward President Obama is hopeful.

[Cha]

10. Thanks for your insight, Zambero n/m

[Ishoutandscream2]

16. What Cha said.

Very informative. Thanks.

[Skittles]

41. that limited government is absolute bullshit

they have no qualms about wars based on lies, unnecessary medical procedures for women, keeping people in a vegetative state against the wishes of their loved ones, etc

[BumRushDaShow]

11. This is just sad

His whole life is sad. They don't want to understand that in the past, some of the premiere "progressive" legislation was done by rethugs like Eisenhower or God forbid, Richard Nixon (Affirmative Action). And people in the U.S. "benefited" from it. But when the shoe is on the other foot, they want to rail against Obama, most likely because they really do believe that he is a "BlackSocialistCommieNaziMarxistFoodStampWelfareQueenKenyanMuslim".

[zbdent]

12. Like a lot, and I do mean A LOT, of "conservatives" ...

many of them will LOUDLY fight against Obama(s)care (as they do over Social Security, Medicare, other "publicly funded" programs) ...

and, when it comes time for them to put money down where they could get it at the "government discount" ...

they take the discount/Social Security/Medicare/etc.

[bluestate10]

17. When they are forced into the free market, they complain like hell about prices.

I deal with those two faced assholes all the time, too much for my comfort.

[Populist_Prole]

23. I work with some real jerks who are just like that

They make my blood pressure soar every time they open their mouths. Unionized no less, yet they're always bashing union employees of other companies making too much; Always saying how much further thier own money would go if everybody else worked for less, but themselves feeling their own compensation is never enough. They truly don't see the irony in their own "me me me" based worldview. To them it represents the best of both worlds in a way.

Like you said: Two faced assholes. VILE two faced assholes.

[zbdent]

26. The rise of the Republican party in from the 80s can be directly attributed to the

"ME Generation" ...

[Skittles]

43. reagan made greed and idiocy fashionable

yes INDEED

[marlakay]

21. My next door neighbors are like that

Couldn't retire until husband was on Medicare, now 4 years later had major accident on motorcycle with tons of medical care. I wonder how much Medicare is paying of all of it...

They both hate Obama and his medical plan and speak loudly against it.

They are the perfect people for I am over 60 and no changes will ever be done to me. So selfish since they have kids and grandkids.

[bluestate10]

69. Changes will happen for them.

The assholes will pay more for medicine, immediately.

[Autumn]

14. Then stay a fucking republican

If you are a limited government guy don't go against your principals just because it benefits your wife. After all, people like you are the fucking problem. Get your fucking party to do something other than be bat shit insane. Reservations
my ass . Fucking idiot.

[bluestate10]

19. I would like to see those morons deal with the wild west the insurance market

will become without government regulation. Or any market or activity without government regulation. Their food will degrade until they are avoiding eating fucking poison on every meal. For the love of god, I am ready to peel those assholes off and give them parts of the south and midwest while sane people take the rest of the country. The new country formed by some southern and midwest states can be called Moronistan. The assholes can pay no taxes and massage their guns while their food gets posioned, the water gets poisoned and their economy goes down a toilet.

[Nye Bevan]

18. No anger or snark from me. I am happy we are winning these folks over

and delighted to welcome them on board.

[Autumn]

20. I have no problem with them voting for Obama, that's a good thing.

But I do not want them in my party. They need to work on their republican party and bring it back from the brink or crash and burn with it. I repeat, they can stay out of my party, it has been dragged to the right too far already.

[demgrrrll]

22. My mom is in Florida and tells me that Romney is in St Pete talking about ministering to the sick

and going heavily into religion at his local rallies. I am not sure what to make of this.

[roseBudd]

24. Just posted this to Facebook

[lobodons]

27. Dude you live in Kansas

Vote for Obama to ease your conscience within your family while knowing that Obama will still carry Kansas. What I say is shame on your fellow Kansans for being knuckle dragging low information racist fake Christians.

[SheilaT]

28. I just wish people like these would actually live their beliefs.

Don't think Obamacare is a good idea? Then let your daughter buy her own insurance or do without. Likewise, if you have a pre-existing condition, then buy insurance, if you can find it, at whatever the sainted free market will charge.

Those who don't believe in science can do without the benefits of science, like just about every single thing in modern medicine.

Oh, and by the way, if you don't believe in abortion, then don't have one.

[valerief]

29. These nitwits can't see the forest for the trees. Of course, they want Obama. Geezus H., aren't the

lives of their family more important than some useless attachment to a useless idea?

[aletier_v]

30. I'm not torn. As 30-year right winger I do NOT want Romney in office.

[Autumn]

32. Since you have been a right winger for 30 years

why have you allowed your party to become so fucking crazy?

[aletier_v]

34. i quit voting in 1994. :)

but they have gotten so crazy that I can't be neutral anymore.

[Autumn]

35. You need to get very involved with your party.

You can work to change it back and the only way to do that is from within your party. Get your republican friends and family to understand that the crazy party is destroying the republican party.

[johnlucas]

55. Uh, don't help him. Let that dumb party die. It's for the best

The Republican Party is morally bankrupt.
They absorbed a pack of angry bigots from the Democrats after 1964 & use the energy of these angry bigots to lessen their responsibilities to their country.
Selfish Rich Guys who forgot about reciprocation. Selfish Rich Guys who forgot about the Social Contract.
They don't want to give anything & only want to take everything.
They have been trying to kill the New Deal legacy ever since it was put together but they don't make up that much of the population.
After all Elite ultimately means Few.

So they need the dumb bigots to go into a craze & that helps them get the numbers they need to influence the vote & ultimately influence the policies.
The bigots are helped by what was put together by Socialism & all the stuff of the New Deal legacy including the Great Society program called Medicare.
But since the bigots are so antagonistic against the Others whoever that may be they will work against things that help ALL people trying to 'get back' at THOSE people. Trying to get back at THEM. Them OTHERS.
This ultimately hurts the bigots themselves but hating on OTHERS makes them feel good even if they fall apart in the process.

But sometimes when they begin falling apart self-preservation kicks in & they end up in dilemmas like the folks from the thread opener's article.
Do I STILL play 'Get Back' or do I keep me & mine from falling apart?

When they pick 'keep me & mine from falling apart', the Republicans lose votes.
The voter may be conflicted because he/she STILL wants to play 'Get Back' but self-preservation takes precedent.

The Republican Party NEEDS to die. It's a Regressive, Backwards, Thoughtless, Heartless political entity.
Don't help him preserve it.
Let that crap die so this country can move onto a better direction.
The Republican Party deserves death for allowing the bigots to have a political platform.
It deserves death for allowing the greedy to wreck the country for their own selfishness.

The Crazy Party IS the Republican Party.
There is no distinction.
John Lucas

[Autumn]

58. Yes they are the crazy party, they didn't use to be insane

I just don't want any dissatisfied republicans joining my Democratic party. Let them work on one of their own. We have way too many DINOS in our party as it is.

[johnlucas]

65. The Democratic Party needs a cleansing as well

When the Republican Party inevitably dissolves, the Democratic Party will do just what it did when it was the Democratic-Republican Party of the 1820s.
It will split on itself being the only game in town.



Reminds me of wrestling & the group called the nWo (New World Order).
The nWo took over WCW (World Championship Wrestling) to the point that the nWo was the only must-see attraction.
What happened when the nWo conquered WCW?
Two of the 3 founders Hollywood Hulk Hogan & 'Big Sexy' Kevin Nash started fighting with each other.



Eventually Kevin Nash broke off with his own version of the nWo, the nWo Wolfpäc.
While Hulk Hogan kept the original version but called it nWo Hollywood.
Nash's group kept the logo but made it black & red.
Hogan's group kept the original colors of black & white.

Believe it or not watching pro wrestling taught me a lot about group dynamics & politics.
Laugh but it's true.

They say nature abhors a vacuum.
The vacuum will be filled but the Democratic Party split will be what fills it.
Those Centrists, the DINOS as you say, will hold one half.
And the Progressives will hold the other half.
No more of this strange bedfellows nonsense.
No more compromising plans before the fight even begins.

Either way the madman Republican extremists will be eliminated from the discussion.
I would rather deal with slow progress from Centrists than none at all from those Regressive fools.
By letting the Republican Party die & inevitably seeing the former less-insane Republicans join the Democratic Party...
...either the former Republicans will transform political identities the more time they spend in the party
OR
they will hold true to their old identity staking out a wing of the Democratic Party & force the likely split.

If they transform, that's a win-win & if they split off the Centrists, that's a win-win too.

There's no need to prop up the Republican Party.
They sealed their fate after 1964 by giving the bigots a political platform.
The party's organization gave political weight to a bunch of backwards-thinking fools & allowed them room to exist.
Without that organization bigots would be disparate & isolated eventually changing with the times because of it or dying out because of the political sanctions.

To put it simply the Republican Party allows bigotry to fester & not fade out.
That bigotry is at the heart of every bad policy that has been enacted over the past 40-something years.
Can improve or reform anything because this clique is always playing 'Get Them' or 'Keep Away'.
John Lucas

[Autumn]

66. Very good post

This right here is my dream
"No more of this strange bedfellows nonsense.
No more compromising plans before the fight even begins."

[johnlucas]

67. Thanks! If one party dies, the other party is refreshened

We swallow a lot waiting for progress.
I stopped calling myself a Democrat because of this party's general ineptitude at shutting down this incredibly easy-to-defeat opposition.
The Democrats are putting just a eensy weensy bit of pressure on the Republicans & the Republicans are falling apart.

It was ALWAYS this easy. We didn't have to go down this roller coaster the past 30 to 40 years.

Once the Republican Party dies off, then the Democratic Party will choose what it REALLY wants to be.
And once that choice is made somebody is getting off this ship.
Will it be the Progressives/Liberals/Socialists/Greens? Or will it be the Blue Dogs/Red Dogs/Mad Dogs/Centrists?

Somebody will leave.
If the party becomes strongly Progressive, then the gradualists won't have the stomach for it & jump off.
If the party becomes stubbornly Centrist, then the activists won't have the patience for it & jump off.

But because there's an even GREATER enemy we both fight, we're stuck together.
Some Republicans are even tired of the Republicans now.
Doesn't mean they're gonna be on board with full-blown Progressiveness.
They just know that the Republican Party they're ashamed of now is destructive to the country.
They reluctantly get on board with this 'big tent' called the Democrats because the Republicans are just that bad.

It's like Dragon Ball Z with story hero Son Goku & his mortal enemy Vegeta.
Vegeta came to kill Son Goku but Goku defeated him.
He wanted his revenge on Goku but then he had to escape from an even BIGGER monster named Frieza, a galactic tyrant that destroys worlds.
Frieza ruled over Vegeta but Vegeta wanted to get back at him for ruling him all those years.
He had to work with Goku to defeat him because he wasn't strong enough to defeat him on his own.
Frieza crossed paths with Goku & Vegeta killing Vegeta in the process.
Goku defeated Frieza for the sake of good & for Vegeta's sake as well.
Vegeta was brought back to life & started working on the good guy's side with Goku though he still wanted his revenge.
It was an uneasy alliance for a long time because Vegeta never quite got over Goku beating him.
But even bigger threats than Frieza arrived over time & forced them to team up.

That uneasy alliance caused a lot of mistakes & problems when fighting the bigger threats in the meantime.
Lots of wasted opportunities before they got the plan right.

Difference is that's a cartoon show & this is real life.
It makes for great drama & suspense when you watch it on a cartoon.
It ruins real lives when it happens in reality.
I would rather skip the uneasy alliance part & get the plan right from jump.
That doesn't happen until the greater enemy is defeated.
John Lucas

[Thinkingabout]

33. Having insurance as a union provided bargaining item I have not had to face life without insurance,

unless I lost my job. In my case I still had insurance in retirement and now converting to Medicare. My complaint is the insured has been picking up a large portion of the cost of those who use health care facilities, walking out and never paying or had to declare bankruptcy after receiving health care bills they could not afford. If everyone is required to provide some means of health insurance then the cost to those paying will go down per person. For those who like limited government, this is a way of getting all on the bandwagon paying and not passing the cost on to everyone else, it is not more government just responsibility for every person. I am being forced as insured to pay for something someone else gets. You say it is different than having auto insurance, good comparison, those who do not buy auto insurance should not be driving and those who do not buy health insurance should never go to health facilities to use them.

[LiberalAndProud]

37. wow

Can't afford health insurance? Die.

Good plan.

Edit:

[Autumn]

42. Hey... that's the republican plan. Typical fucking

assholes.

[LiberalAndProud]

45. All I can say is that

I hope Thinkabout tips his waitress well.

[bluestate10]

70. The posters wasn't saying that.

The argument seemed to have been one for the Individual Mandate and/or Single Payer. In both IM and SP, an individual person is asked to take some responsibility for insuring their health. In both systems, healthy people can't opt-out of the system until they need health care, they must participate. Higher participation allows people that can't afford to pay because they are unemployed, or un-employable to get health care, because the system of support from people that can afford to pay but now chose to stay out of paying for health insurance.

[Autumn]

39. How very republican of you!! You have yours so let others die.

I so admire your values,

[Thinkingabout]

60. You are so very wrong, I feel those able should pay their insurance.

Perhaps you are not aware most union members (especially strong union members like myself) are DEMOCRAT. Knock off your RW comments, shame on you, get some values.

[Autumn]

62. I have values. I am my brothers keeper. Most people can not

afford to pay for health insurance. keeping a roof over their heads and food on the table is more important than paying for an insurance policy that you can't afford to use. I don't mind paying a few dollars extra to help the poor and the vulnerable among us.

I am sick of paying for tax breaks for the wealthy, I object to paying for needless, senseless wars of choice.
Shame on you for saying "those who do not buy health insurance should never go to health facilities to use them." Not everyone has a job with a union that pays and offers benefits .

You have yours and fuck anyone else. Shame on you. That's a RW talking point and value.

[Thinkingabout]

63. If you knew more about the ACA you would know those who can not afford insurance has other means.

You are beginning to sound like the death panel bunch. I would have rather seen a national health insurance but Obama was having a difficult time gating anything passed. By the way, I made sacrifices on minimal wages to pay some on my health insurance and over the years have pushed for national health insurance so don't come off as a victim on this, get on the band wagon to get everyone covered.

[Autumn]

64. A far cry from your post I responded to

" My complaint is the insured has been picking up a large portion of the cost of those who use health care facilities, walking out and never paying or had to declare bankruptcy after receiving health care bills they could not afford. If everyone is required to provide some means of health insurance then the cost to those paying will go down per person. For those who like limited government, this is a way of getting all on the bandwagon paying and not passing the cost on to everyone else, it is not more government just responsibility for every person. I am being forced as insured to pay for something someone else gets. You say it is different than having auto insurance, good comparison, those who do not buy auto insurance should not be driving and those who do not buy health insurance should never go to health facilities to use them."

Try this link please

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/10/05/1140760/-Lose-the-GOP-Free-Rider-Meme-Please

Now you have a nice day

[bluestate10]

72. The poster was no writing that. See my other post. nt

[Autumn]

73. The poster clearly said

"those who do not buy health insurance should never go to health facilities to use them."

[Skittles]

44. so if someone cannot afford crappy, for-profit healthcare "insurance"

they should just - what - die? You sound very close to the repuke "I GOT MINE AND FUCK EVERYONE ELSE" mentality.

[OldDem2012]

47. Just curious, but when you get sick, and all of us do eventually, are you...

...going to think about all of those people who are being "forced" to pay for the health care you're receiving, or will you be thankful for the coverage that will keep you from personal bankruptcy?

[Thinkingabout]

61. I have insurance and was fortunate to have this through barganing rights of unions, all my life.

Until ACA I could have had an illness which could have resulted in bankruptcy, but now that has changed. The force is in having premiums which covered the ones going to health facilities and walked out without paying. There are those now complaining about the mandate of having to have some type of coverage and I explained I have lived under mandate to either pay insurance premiums to keep the health facilities open so the mandate is not new to me.

[Skittles]

49. hey ta - think about this, OK

this is a good read for you because it explains the problem with so-called "affordable" health insurance

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/10/05/1140760/-Lose-the-GOP-Free-Rider-Meme-Please

[theKed]

36. They don't

know how to progress to the question that follows "I'm a limited-government guy", which is "Why am I a limited-government guy?" It's not entirely their fault, and not many people are doing anything to combat it.

And some people just don't know to ask that after, because they've been taught all their lives to take things in that vein at face value from authority figures (whether it's political pundits, heads-of-families, or priests). It's partly why contemporary Republicanism is strongest amongst Christians.

And so you get two types of responses to "why am I a 'limited-government guy'?" There's a sort that understands what that means, how that actually works and affects the people, and are okay with that because they feel it's a good choice (whether or not we agree, they are making a conscious, informed decision that this is what they think is best) - most prominently the wealthy and powerful that can buy or otherwise acquire the things and services they need without undue trouble.

The second, far more populous group, do it because that it's the way they were raised, the way they've always been taught was right, and that's that. So they profess a love for small government, while simultaneously being fond of things like social security and medicare and either rationalise, or choose to ignore, the conflict of those ideals. How they can be caring, magnanimous people in person yet vitriolic en masse. This grand cognitive dissonance has been built and reinforced over many, many years - decades, even - with each passing election buttressing the divide between the ideals. It eases them from considering that the 'enemy' is more than a faceless, formless, block of blue ink on a map that wants to take their guns, give them all abortions, and wed them to a same-sex partner.

From the wikipedia article on Cognitive Dissonance:

225 female students rated a series of common appliances and were then allowed to choose one of two appliances to take home as a gift. A second round of ratings showed that the participants increased their ratings of the item they chose, and lowered their ratings of the rejected item. This can be explained in terms of cognitive dissonance. When making a difficult decision, there are always aspects of the rejected choice that one finds appealing and these features are dissonant with choosing something else. In other words, the cognition, "I chose X" is dissonant with the cognition, "There are some things I like about Y."

I sincerely doubt Republicans are alone in manufacturing this cognitive dissonance to reinforce their belief structure, though I would wager it's much less pronounced, on the whole, in the 'progressive' crowd. Questioning authority and beliefs is much more accepted and encouraged amongst the progressive-minded. Republicans are not evil people. They may be misinformed, indoctrinated into a mindset that makes them pliable to a certain type of leadership, but they should be taught to question their authorities and themselves, more than ridiculed and ignored.

[OldDem2012]

38. My bet is Mr. Campbell will also have a lot of second-thoughts about....

....the "small government-big government" argument when it comes time for him to retire and he needs SS, Medicare, and Medicaid.

Funny how that works, isn't it?

[Indpndnt]

53. I certainly hope he does, but I'm not counting on it.

Willard's 47% video followed by the number of people collecting SS and using Medicare/Medicaid who swear that Willard didn't mean them, just astounds me.

[stopbush]

40. "he'd vote for Obama, but not without a lot of reservations."

Those reservations come down to "a vote for Obama will make Jeebus angry."

[Doctor_J]

46. These people are mentally ill

they're actually considering putting their family's health at risk be cause they think Rmoney's going to "limit government". They are really too stupid to be allowed to vote.

[BeyondGeography]

51. Self-destructive, like their party of choice

[ecstatic]

52. It's so incredibly frustrating that 40% of Americans (repubs) are incapable

of putting themselves in someone elses' shoes. It's always "me me me" with them, and yet they have the audacity to label themselves as the party Jesus would choose. The icing on the cake is the super idiot who is still unsure of what to do despite his wife having cancer, and his step daughter not having insurance. The ignorance, hypocrisy, and selfishness is unreal!

[Indpndnt]

54. My favorite part is towards the bottom.

Here:

Weaver, 52, knows it would be difficult if not impossible to buy insurance on her own because of her disease, but she said she's not worried because she has good insurance through her job as a public school teacher in Dallas, where she's worked for 20 years.

"It's very hard to get rid of teachers," she said. "I'm very protective of my job. I document everything I do."

Ha! That's what she thinks. She needs to drive south 200 miles or so and ask the teachers in and around Austin about job security. Hundreds were laid off over the past couple of years. She can document all she wants. If they cut school funds, they will cut her.

[Javaman]

56. In regards to the first person in the article...

I find it oddly amusing that this person puts the owning of a weapons on equal basis with personal health.

[Auntie Bush]

71. Glad to see some Repubs are giving some thought to how this

election will effect them personally...instead of automatically voting against their own interest...like most of those in the southern red states. Yeah, for thoughtful, sensible Republicans. Hope more of them think before they vote instead of an automatic ReThug vote.