# Probably Mitt's biggest flip-flop so far: He won't get rid of health care reform **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [September 9, 2012, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/probably-mitts-biggest-flip-flop-so-far-he-wont-get-rid-of-health-care-reform/634197 "2012-09-09T14:50:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2012, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/probably-mitts-biggest-flip-flop-so-far-he-wont-get-rid-of-health-care-reform/634197/61 "2012-09-10T17:22:40Z")
Or is he arguing that the free market will step in and health insurance companies will provide all these things for consumers if there is sufficient demand even though that was not happening, which was why Romney (and then Obama) signed legislation that ordered health insurance companies to do just that? ---
**Author:** ![lance\_strongarm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/87869e/32.png) [@lance\_strongarm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lance_strongarm)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2012, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/probably-mitts-biggest-flip-flop-so-far-he-wont-get-rid-of-health-care-reform/634197/62 "2012-09-10T17:24:16Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > What does that even mean? The phrase “maintains continuous coverage” seems to be saying that if you have health insurance already, you cannot be denied health insurance for a “pre-existing condition”. Pretty much. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2012, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/probably-mitts-biggest-flip-flop-so-far-he-wont-get-rid-of-health-care-reform/634197/63 "2012-09-10T17:32:14Z")
> [@jtgain](#): > > As a Romney supporter, I agree that this is a huge blunder. You can’t have a law allowing people with pre-existing conditions to get coverage without a mandate. I’ll just wait until I’m on my way to the emergency room to buy insurance. Even without the mandate, Obamacare does not permit this. You can only opt in during the three month annual enrollment period, so you could be without insurance for up to 9 months. ---
**Author:** ![Gagundathar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a183cd/32.png) [@Gagundathar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gagundathar)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2012, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/probably-mitts-biggest-flip-flop-so-far-he-wont-get-rid-of-health-care-reform/634197/64 "2012-09-10T17:36:21Z")
> [@Steve\_MB](#): > > Why can’t we find one journalist who will give these clowns a “Judge Judy” style verbal beatdown when they try to spin and lie their way around a question. That is a very cogent question. It is as if there are no non-neoconservative news outlets out there. Or perhaps the ones that exist are just trying to be nice. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2012, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/probably-mitts-biggest-flip-flop-so-far-he-wont-get-rid-of-health-care-reform/634197/65 "2012-09-10T17:42:09Z")
> [@lance\_strongarm](#): > > If you don’t have a job, or don’t have insurance at your job, this is useless. Yes, I know. That’s why the ACA got traction. Romney is trying, in this latest iteration, to act as if he is offering something **new** in saying that people who are insured will be able to keep their coverage for preexisting conditions. It isn’t new at all, it pre-dated the ACA, and if Romney gets any traction at all from it it will be because Americans are really confused about health insurance. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2012, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/probably-mitts-biggest-flip-flop-so-far-he-wont-get-rid-of-health-care-reform/634197/66 "2012-09-10T17:50:41Z")
> [@Steve\_MB](#): > > Why can’t we find one journalist who will give these clowns a “Judge Judy” style verbal beatdown when they try to spin and lie their way around a question. Probably because you’re looking in the wrong place, that is: on television. Journalists don’t do television. ---
**Author:** ![lance\_strongarm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/87869e/32.png) [@lance\_strongarm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lance_strongarm)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2012, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/probably-mitts-biggest-flip-flop-so-far-he-wont-get-rid-of-health-care-reform/634197/67 "2012-09-10T18:02:11Z")
> [@jsgoddess](#): > > Yes, I know. Yep, just adding something. > [@](#): > > That’s why the ACA got traction. Romney is trying, in this latest iteration, to act as if he is offering something **new** in saying that people who are insured will be able to keep their coverage for preexisting conditions. It isn’t new at all, it pre-dated the ACA, and if Romney gets any traction at all from it it will be because Americans are really confused about health insurance. Watch - there will be people out there who adamantly insist that this is something new. ---
**Author:** ![Folacin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folacin/32/3195_2.png) [@Folacin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folacin)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2012, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/probably-mitts-biggest-flip-flop-so-far-he-wont-get-rid-of-health-care-reform/634197/68 "2012-09-10T18:51:34Z")
> [@Steve\_MB](#): > > Why can’t we find one journalist who will give these clowns a “Judge Judy” style verbal beatdown when they try to spin and lie their way around a question. Because after the first time it happened (or second time, once to a conservative and once to a liberal), no one would go on that show any more. ---
**Author:** ![Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hentor_the_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2012, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/probably-mitts-biggest-flip-flop-so-far-he-wont-get-rid-of-health-care-reform/634197/69 "2012-09-10T20:56:43Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > Probably because you’re looking in the wrong place, that is: on television. Journalists don’t do television. They don’t even do journalism anymore. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2012, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/probably-mitts-biggest-flip-flop-so-far-he-wont-get-rid-of-health-care-reform/634197/70 "2012-09-10T21:30:48Z")
> [@](#): > > Let me warn you and let me warn the Nation against the smooth evasion which says, “Of course we believe all these things; we believe in social security; we believe in work for the unemployed; we believe in saving homes. Cross our hearts and hope to die, we believe in all these things; but we do not like the way the present Administration is doing them. Just turn them over to us. We will do all of them- we will do more of them we will do them better; and, most important of all, the doing of them will not cost anybody anything.” > > ~~Franklin Delano Roosevelt, 1936 [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/S3RHnKYNvx8/hqdefault.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEmCOADEOgC8quKqQMa8AEB-AH-BIAC6AKKAgwIABABGGMgZShNMA8=&rs=AOn4CLA7XmArvvKExVntGmiPfqezG2Yfwg "FDR "Let Me Warn You" (1936).m4v") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3RHnKYNvx8) ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2012, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/probably-mitts-biggest-flip-flop-so-far-he-wont-get-rid-of-health-care-reform/634197/71 "2012-09-10T22:21:22Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3RHnKYNvx8](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3RHnKYNvx8) Wow. He was a better orator than Clinton. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![aag3981](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/53a042/32.png) [@aag3981](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aag3981)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2012, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/probably-mitts-biggest-flip-flop-so-far-he-wont-get-rid-of-health-care-reform/634197/72 "2012-09-11T00:03:23Z")
So Romney takes the position that he has probably had all along. He did oversee the health care plan in Mass. Is this flip a surprise? He has had to pander to the far right to get the nomination, so now he will lose the independents and the people pissed off at Obama. It’s too bad, Romney did seem like he had some potential until he had to start wooing the super loud far right. The flip flopping hurts and the vagrant mis-representation of facts or just plain out lies he has used in this election are gross. The fact that he has any support is a disgrace. ---
**Author:** ![waterj2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/858c86/32.png) [@waterj2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/waterj2)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2012, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/probably-mitts-biggest-flip-flop-so-far-he-wont-get-rid-of-health-care-reform/634197/73 "2012-09-11T02:34:58Z")
> [@jsgoddess](#): > > Yes, I know. That’s why the ACA got traction. Romney is trying, in this latest iteration, to act as if he is offering something **new** in saying that people who are insured will be able to keep their coverage for preexisting conditions. It isn’t new at all, it pre-dated the ACA, and if Romney gets any traction at all from it it will be because Americans are really confused about health insurance. Maybe the far right-wing fringe will demand “repeal ERISA” as their latest purity test for their nominee. ---
**Author:** ![2ManyTacos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/2/3da27b/32.png) [@2ManyTacos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2ManyTacos)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2012, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/probably-mitts-biggest-flip-flop-so-far-he-wont-get-rid-of-health-care-reform/634197/74 "2012-09-11T14:45:52Z")
[Cool, so now he is for complete repeal again.](http://maddowblog.msnbc.com/_news/2012/09/11/13803979-romney-reverses-course-again-on-health-care?lite) \* Last night, Romney appeared on Hugh Hewitt’s radio show, offering the far-right host an entirely new perspective on his approach to health care policy. “Well of course I’m going to repeal Obamacare,” Romney said. “I’ve said that on the campaign trail, I think, every single day. Obamacare must be repealed – in its entirety. It’s bad policy, it’s bad law, and frankly, a $2 trillion entitlement we don’t want and we certainly can’t afford… Obamacare is a disaster in my opinion, and has to be repealed entirely.”\* What a fucking clown. ---
**Author:** ![conway](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ec9cab/32.png) [@conway](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/conway)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2012, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/probably-mitts-biggest-flip-flop-so-far-he-wont-get-rid-of-health-care-reform/634197/75 "2012-09-11T15:09:50Z")
I love the “of course”. As if he can’t figure out where people are getting the idea that he wouldn’t repeal all of it. ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2012, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/probably-mitts-biggest-flip-flop-so-far-he-wont-get-rid-of-health-care-reform/634197/76 "2012-09-11T15:39:17Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3RHnKYNvx8](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3RHnKYNvx8) Wow, what a cool and saddening reminder of how silly everyone is, has been, and will continue to be. > [@2ManyTacos](#): > > [Cool, so now he is for complete repeal again.](http://maddowblog.msnbc.com/_news/2012/09/11/13803979-romney-reverses-course-again-on-health-care?lite) > \* > Last night, Romney appeared on Hugh Hewitt’s radio show, offering the far-right host an entirely new perspective on his approach to health care policy. “Well of course I’m going to repeal Obamacare,” Romney said. “I’ve said that on the campaign trail, I think, every single day. Obamacare must be repealed – in its entirety. It’s bad policy, it’s bad law, and frankly, a $2 trillion entitlement we don’t want and we certainly can’t afford… Obamacare is a disaster in my opinion, and has to be repealed entirely.”\* > > What a fucking clown. Jesus, Romney, just stop talking. Just stand there and let your hair do all the talking, or at the very least, just let [this guy](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Xv0Xo9W1a8&feature=player_embedded) be his spokesperson. ---
**Author:** ![Fuzzy\_Dunlop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/848f3c/32.png) [@Fuzzy\_Dunlop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fuzzy_Dunlop)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2012, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/probably-mitts-biggest-flip-flop-so-far-he-wont-get-rid-of-health-care-reform/634197/77 "2012-09-11T17:36:38Z")
> [@jsgoddess](#): > > Yes, I know. That’s why the ACA got traction. Romney is trying, in this latest iteration, to act as if he is offering something **new** in saying that people who are insured will be able to keep their coverage for preexisting conditions. It isn’t new at all, it pre-dated the ACA, and if Romney gets any traction at all from it it will be because Americans are really confused about health insurance. Unfortunately I can’t remember when, sometime during the primary, but I distinctly remember Romney smarmily saying almost exactly the same thing, except acknowledging explicitly it was the status quo prior to ACA. “as long as everything went absolutely perfectly in your life you wouldn’t have been able to be denied coverage for pre-existing conditions anyway, since you’d have had insurance your whole life. No problem to solve!” ---
**Author:** ![lance\_strongarm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/87869e/32.png) [@lance\_strongarm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lance_strongarm)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2012, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/probably-mitts-biggest-flip-flop-so-far-he-wont-get-rid-of-health-care-reform/634197/78 "2012-09-11T18:27:08Z")
> [@Fuzzy\_Dunlop](#): > > Unfortunately I can’t remember when, sometime during the primary, but I distinctly remember Romney smarmily saying almost exactly the same thing, except acknowledging explicitly it was the status quo prior to ACA. “as long as everything went absolutely perfectly in your life you wouldn’t have been able to be denied coverage for pre-existing conditions anyway, since you’d have had insurance your whole life. No problem to solve!” Exactly why a filthy rich guy who has never had to really worry about anything is unfit to be president. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2012, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/probably-mitts-biggest-flip-flop-so-far-he-wont-get-rid-of-health-care-reform/634197/79 "2012-09-11T19:28:37Z")
Does all of this count as one continuous flip-flop, or is it two? ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Scud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f08c70/32.png) [@Tom\_Scud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Scud)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2012, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/probably-mitts-biggest-flip-flop-so-far-he-wont-get-rid-of-health-care-reform/634197/80 "2012-09-11T19:41:56Z")
I think “flip-flop” doesn’t really do it justice. More like a tripel axel followed by a double toe loop. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/probably-mitts-biggest-flip-flop-so-far-he-wont-get-rid-of-health-care-reform/634197.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/probably-mitts-biggest-flip-flop-so-far-he-wont-get-rid-of-health-care-reform/634197.md?page=5)