Jindal's Misconception

Governor Jindal of Louisiana has challenged Senator Cruz of Texas to a debate on Obamacare.  Politically, this is a shrewd move.  Cruz (10.5%) polls much higher than Jindal (0.7%) and Cruz has also declared that he is willing to do as many debates as possible.  However, his choice of debate topics is risky.

“You get Ted Cruz who wants to shut down the government, but he’s never even come up with his own plan,” Jindal said. “We’ve written our own plan and campaigned on it, rather than just complaining about Obamacare.”

I have not read Jindal's alternative to Obamacare but, whatever it may be, it will remain an overstep of Constitutional authority.  The federal government has no place in healthcare.  There is no amendment, no clause, no delegated power on the subject.  As such, the Tenth Amendment returns it to the states or the people; the federal government should be silent on the issue.  States are another matter.  If Bobby Jindal wanted to develop a healthcare law for Louisiana, that's fine by me.  Oregon and Massachusetts both had healthcare laws prior to Obamacare.  Medicare and Medicaid remain intact.  This is likely the argument that Cruz will offer.  Replacing one unconstitutional law with another - even if it is better and less mandatory - would still be wrong.  Healthcare should return to the states, counties, cities, or even individuals to decide.  How is Jindal going to reply to that?

 

Trust in government is at a low ebb and proposing a new government program, even to replace an unpopular one, is the wrong path to take this election season.  The voters don't want the NSA to listen to them a little less, they want the NSA to not listen at all.  If you simply repeal Obamacare, all returns to what it was beforehand, which was much less expensive than now.  The pendulum is swinging back from big intrusive government toward smaller, hands-off government, most especially among Republican primary voters.

 

I like Bobby Jindal but I don't think this will improve his standing.  Unless some of the higher tier candidates crash and burn, Jindal isn't going anywhere this time around.