On Wednesday, President Barack Obama and his administration urged the Supreme Court to consider an appeal by 26 states regarding the health care reform law that would require all Americans to have health insurance, Reuters reported.
Obama’s administration is urging the Supreme Court to rule in favor of the controversial legislation; the 26 states are hoping for the Supreme Court to rule that requiring all Americans to have health insurance is unconstitutional.
The recent appeal to the Supreme Court comes after a ruling by the 11th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals in August that ruled against the mandate.
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Many commentators have observed that a ruling by the Supreme Court in favor of Obama’s health care reform would do wonders for his re-election campaign in 2012.In fact, Reuters reported that the appeal by the Obama administration was highly anticipated simply because the administration didn’t want to risk a ruling by a higher court besides the Supreme Court.
“A high court ruling against the law could be a fatal blow to the president's signature domestic policy achievement and could have major implications for his re-election bid,” James Vicini wrote for Reuters.
Certainly, a ruling against health care reform, which the Obama administration considers one of its biggest achievements, would be devastating for his re-election bid.
However, a ruling for the heath care law could also have unforeseen consequences for Obama’s re-election hopes.
As the presidential race heats up, Republican contenders could use what the Obama administration considers a win as a rallying cry for everything they see wrong with his presidency.
Republicans could reassemble with one clear focus — to beat Obama. Why? Because he’s trying to corrupt our nation with “socialized medicine.”
Linda Feidmann of Christian Science Monitor foresees similar results if the Supreme Court rules in favor of the Obama administration and health care reform.
“Conservatives would likely become even more energized than they already are, not only to defeat Obama, but also to elect more conservative members of Congress pledging to repeal the law.”
It certainly doesn’t help Obama that a Supreme Court ruling would likely be determined in June of next year, only months away from the Presidential elections in November.
Voters have a tendency to forget the victories or losses of the past and focus on the most recent developments. This selective memory would cause voters to forget about Obama’s many triumphs — including overseeing a military operation to kill Osama Bin Laden and ending the discriminatory “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy — and focus solely on current affairs.
The big question that remains is how the Democratic base will handle such attacks. It is important for Democrats to point to their many victories in Obama’s administration, and to make clear that they have the support of the nation’s highest court. Having the backing of the Supreme Court will prove to be very beneficial.
In other words, it’s business as usual in Washington. Political commentators, myself included, are feeding the fire and predicting how a monumental phase in American history will affect politics and election aspirations. Political parties, too, are already anticipating how they can use the result in their favor.
What we should really be focusing on is the need for health care reform, despite its repercussions to presidential hopefuls.
Currently, 49.9 million people are uninsured, CNN reported. This staggering statistic grew significantly from 2009.
Once we push aside our tendency to analyze and our desire to win in the polls, we will recognize what’s really at stake and what could be our biggest victory — saving and improving human lives.
Reach the columnist at eeeaton@asu.edu. Click here to subscribe to the daily State Press newsletter.
