Massachusetts not about health care

Published by Michael Foxglove

I’m getting a bit sick of commentary suggesting Republican Scott Brown’s victory in the Massachusetts Senate race was a thumbs down for Obama’s universal health care package.

It wasn’t.

Health care was not an issue in the Massachusetts senate election. Why? Because in 2006 state-wide health care and coverage was enforced by Massachusetts law. Wikipedia’s summary states:

It requires nearly every resident of Massachusetts to obtain health insurance coverage. Through the law, Massachusetts provides free health care for residents earning less than 150% of the federal poverty level (FPL) and partially subsidized health care for those earning up to 300% of the FPL, depending on an income-based sliding scale.

There were many speculative reasons for Brown’s win. Including the fact he was identified by voters as a liberal, and [Mr Key take note] his Democratic opponent took a holiday in the middle of the campaign.

But Obama’s health care (and other progressive) policies weren’t the factor Conservatives would like the U.S. citizenry and the world to believe.