Senator Lincoln (D-Arkansas)

…Time To Do The Right Thing

Someone has finally figured out and outlined Senator Blanche Lincoln’s healthcare dilemma and a path to put her back on track with her progressive, Democratic supporters here in Arkansas. Check out Political Animal (Steve Benen) at The Washington Monthly. It’s a good read, well-written and contains some great advice for Blanche. Here’s an excerpt:

I'd become the biggest champion of bold, progressive health care reform in the Senate. I'd show some major leadership, get out way in front, and position myself as a Kennedy-like guardian of those suffering under the status quo.

Look, Lincoln isn't going to out-conservative the Republican candidates in Arkansas. No matter how she votes on reform, the entire Attack Machine is going after her as some kind of radical leftist. It doesn't matter if it doesn't make sense, and it certainly doesn't matter if she votes with Republicans on the big issues of the day for the next year.

So why not go big? Why not announce that too many Arkansas families are being screwed right now by a dysfunctional health care system and Blanche Lincoln has decided to do something about it? Why not run ads saying, "I don't care what the insurance companies and their candidates say: I'm fighting for the families who can't afford their premiums, the workers who can't get coverage, the Arkansans with pre-existing conditions, the small businesses that can't afford insurance for the employees...."?

In other words, show some confidence. Voters can recognize fear, so stop being defensive. Arkansas has a high percentage of low-income families, struggling to get by, who are terrified of their health care situation. They're not going to vote Democratic on cultural and/or social issues, but they're open to the Democratic message on economic policy -- looking out for working families' interests. A candidate who positions herself as a populist people's champion has a better shot than an apologetic Democrat who hopes Republicans won't mind her party affiliation.

Good advice, Senator Lincoln. I hope you take it.