# The dangerous politics of Medicare For All

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dangerous-politics-of-medicare-for-all/837922>\
**Category:** Politics & Elections\
**Created:** [July 31, 2019, 11:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dangerous-politics-of-medicare-for-all/837922 "2019-07-31T11:19:12Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 79

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**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\
**Post date:** [August 3, 2019, 11:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dangerous-politics-of-medicare-for-all/837922/79 "2019-08-03T11:34:33Z")

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My mother and sister report that dental, vision, hearing aids, and prescriptions are not covered. Plus there is private supplemental insurance, as noted upthread. So Bernie is in fact planning to offer something that does not exist there, and probably not anywhere. It’s important to remember that he is really more interested in sticking it to insurance companies than in just giving people health coverage. And as long as Elizabeth Warren does not deviate with her own plan, that is what she is stuck with as well.

> [@KidCharlemagne](#):
>
> This is true and the reason why the arguments that taxing the rich will send them to the right side of the Laffer Curve are so fricking stupid. The hedge-funder in Greenwich would be happier making 20 million and his next door neighbor making 15 then he would with both of them making 30.

Good point. Yet another reason why the Laffer curve is completely stupid.

> [@Eonwe](#):
>
> . . . so she’s a conservative then? Won’t vote for any change that requires her life to change, unless it means more free stuff for her personally?
> 
> Doesn’t sound like there’s a chance in hell she’ll be voting for any Dem ever. Certainly not when we face real economic, social, or environmental crisis.
> 
> Candidates who honestly and sincerely appeal to the voter who insists on keeping every scintilla of what they have are not candidates that can do anything positive for the nation.

I said right up front that the American voters who are decisive in national elections are not great people. But we have to curry favor with them to win even if it is nauseating. Would you prefer to just be pure and lose? How many people get healthcare that way?

And if you think swing voters are not as shitty and selfish as that, look again at the poll numbers I linked. Only 26% would support MFA if it would “lead to delays in some people getting certain medical tests and treatments”. 26% is actually a large number of people. Many tens of millions, and I’m sure you are one of them. But it’s not enough to keep from giving completely shellacked by the Republicans in the election—in which case you end up without half a loaf, or even a crumb of a loaf.

Fortunately, candidates don’t have to honestly and sincerely appeal to such voters. Doing so dishonestly and insincerely is fine as long as it gets the job done.

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