Obama's Medicinal Herbs

For the American right wing, “Obamacare” is a curse word, while the left sees it as a trophy. In any case, the health care reform is the Democrats’ legacy. In 2016, at the latest, its full effects will unfold — not just medically, but also when it comes to Obama’s successor.

Barack Obama traded one secretary of health and human services for the next one, but the face of American health policy remains the same: It is Barack Obama’s. The largest social reform of the past decade is so tightly bound with this president that it is still simply known as Obamacare. The right uses it as a curse, the left as a trophy, but in any case, it is Obama’s legacy.

The previous secretary supposedly resigned because she wanted to, likely burned out and tired of the endless, often shameless attacks from the right; however, the departure may be all right with the White House. Sebelius is partly responsible for the embarrassing system crash of the online exchange that brokers private health insurance. Since then, the glitches have been repaired, but it still fits political logic that someone faces consequences for the expensive, reputation-damaging disaster. The White House can now reply to many attacks from Congress that the responsible bureaucrat is gone.

The person with the main responsibility, however, is and remains Barack Obama. Even without Sebelius, he and his Democrats have a torturous year ahead of them. Anyone as disliked in spring as President Obama was cannot expect any mildness in November. In the Congressional election this fall, then, the Democrats will probably not win back the House, and may even lose their Senate majority. The president would then have to rule against both congressional majorities during his remaining two years in office.

The Americans are at odds with their president for many reasons, but Obamacare is the most important. Those Democrats who soon must face the voters are trying to distance themselves from the reform. Those who enter the race for the Republicans cite the health care system as the cause for the coming collapse of America.

Obamacare Will Remain Even When Obama’s Term in Office Is Over

Still, the country refuses to simply take a few facts into account. First: Obamacare ends the exclusion and exploitation of millions of sick people. Any sick person can now go to the doctor and receive medicine. Second: Obamacare is successful. The government now claims 7 million newly insured people. This number has possibly been slightly enhanced, but according to the calculations of independent institutes, millions of Americans now have access to clinics, hospitals and medications — for the first time ever, or under better conditions than before.

Third: Obamacare will stay. When Obama’s term in office ends, there could already be 20 million newly insured; the system will be so established that the Republicans will hardly be able to get rid of it, even if they had all the power. More and more Americans will recognize that the Republicans don’t have a sufficient alternative to offer.

All these advantages of Obamacare may slowly change America’s perceptions, with the same speed of effect as homeopathic, medicinal herbs. Many citizens (and voters) may determine that it is not always overbearing when the state gets involved in questions of health; that the apocalypse prophesized by the Republicans does not happen; that Obamacare was introduced and explained amateurishly, but sustained professionally.

Obama’s herbal elixirs will come too late for the election in the fall. But even before the presidential election in 2016, and for a long time after that, Obamacare’s complete effects can unfold — not just medically for millions of Americans, but also politically for the momentarily beaten down Democrats.