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A Tailwind for the Fanatics

240
Published in der Standard
(Austria) on 7 October 2013
by András Szigetvari (link to originallink to original)
Translated from by Ron Argentati. Edited by .

Edited by Laurence Bouvard

 

What possesses a group of conservative Republicans to cripple the U.S. government and risk national bankruptcy just because they don't like Barack Obama's health care reforms? Commentators have been scratching their heads for days trying to answer that question. Surveys show that a majority of Americans blame the Republicans for the shutdown. The 1995 shutdown caused by budget disagreements in Bill Clinton's administration in 1995 turned out to be a boomerang — Clinton was re-elected in 1996.

But Senator Ted Cruz, who gained notoriety by staging a 21-hour filibuster against Obamacare, might be the key to providing a possible motive for the strategy of the Senator's tea party friends: Cruz counseled journalists to reread their history books. The year 1996 was not only a winning one for Clinton, but for Republicans as well. For the first time since the 1930s they were able to defend their congressional majority. The determination of the ideological hard liners had been rewarded.

In addition, there might be another older Republican motive to oppose Obamacare: states' rights. That will be a mobilizing factor above all in the Southern states for anyone against the Washington-inspired health care reforms. This all points to no quick end to the budget fight. The tea partiers have too strong a wind at their backs.


US-Budgetkrise: Rückenwind für Fanatiker
Von András Szigetvari
6. Oktober 2013


Seit Tagen rätseln Kommentatoren über die Haltung der Tea Party

Was treibt eine Gruppe konservativer Republikaner dazu an, die US-Regierung wegen der Gesundheitsreform Barack Obamas lahmzulegen und eine Staatspleite zu riskieren? Seit Tagen rätseln Kommentatoren über die Haltung der Tea Party. Laut Umfragen kreidet die Öffentlichkeit den Shutdown mehrheitlich den Repu­blikanern an. Zudem erwies sich der letzte Budgetkonflikt, den eine republikanische Mehrheit im Kongress gegen einen demokratischen Präsidenten 1995 entfachte, als Bumerang - Bill Clinton wurde 1996 wiedergewählt.

Doch Senator Ted Cruz, der mit einer 21-Stunden-Rede gegen Obamacare berühmt wurde, konnte nun eine plausible Erklärung für die Strategie seiner Tea-Party-Freunde geben. Cruz empfahl Journalisten, ihre Geschichtsbücher noch einmal zu lesen. 1996 war nämlich nicht nur ein Triumphjahr für Clinton, sondern auch für die Republikaner. Erstmals seit den 1930er-Jahren gelang ihnen damals die Verteidigung ihrer Mehrheit im Kongress. Die Entschlossenheit der ideologischen Hardliner wurde belohnt.

Zudem können die Republikaner im Kampf gegen Obamacare ein Uraltmotiv der US-Politik wiederbeleben: die Selbstständigkeit der Bundesstaaten. Vor allem im Süden lässt sich damit Widerstand gegen die in Washington konzipierte Gesundheitsreform mobilisieren. Das alles spricht dafür, dass es keine schnelle Lösung im Budgetstreit geben wird. Die Tea-Party-Fanatiker haben zu viel Rückenwind. (András Szigetvari, DER STANDARD, 7.10.2013)
This post appeared on the front page as a direct link to the original article with the above link .

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