CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- After the noise of the Republican debates dies away, a nominee will emerge. It is doubtful that his identity will matter.
For example, Mr. (insert GOP nominee here), will advocate for lower taxes on the rich, calling them "job creators."
The GOP nominee will tell us we need less regulation of the financial industry, even though it was too little regulation that brought on the 2008 financial collapse.
He will tell us that the Founders believed that a corporation is a person, despite the fact that Texas has yet to execute one.
It is best, he will announce, that your health care remains a for-profit industry, like the sale of soda pop and cornflakes, and that your insurance company must be able to cancel your coverage so that Americans will remain safe from socialism.
Aware that climate scientists have mastered calculus and physical chemistry, he nonetheless will claim they can't read a thermometer.
He will attempt to persuade us that Barack Obama is either a Kenyan Muslim who hates European colonialism or, conversely, that the president is in love with European governments and wishes to make ours more like them.
There will be no sharper contrast between the president and his eventual challenger than on health care. The GOP presidential hopefuls all say they:
Hope to take away the right of adult children to remain on their parents' insurance to age 26.
Want to end tax reductions for businesses that provide employees with insurance.
Wish to take away the right of women to numerous benefits such as well-women exams, cervical cancer exams and diabetes screenings during pregnancy, without the need for a co-payment.
Want to allow people who can afford insurance to go through life without it, thus burdening the rest of us with the cost of their care.
In contrast, there is President Obama. He has:
Beaten back GOP efforts to do away with your Medicare and Social Security.
Led the United States to 21 straight months of private-sector job growth.
Signed the SCHIP Act into law so that millions of poor children can go to a doctor.
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- After the noise of the Republican debates dies away, a nominee will emerge. It is doubtful that his identity will matter.
For example, Mr. (insert GOP nominee here), will advocate for lower taxes on the rich, calling them "job creators."
The GOP nominee will tell us we need less regulation of the financial industry, even though it was too little regulation that brought on the 2008 financial collapse.
He will tell us that the Founders believed that a corporation is a person, despite the fact that Texas has yet to execute one.
It is best, he will announce, that your health care remains a for-profit industry, like the sale of soda pop and cornflakes, and that your insurance company must be able to cancel your coverage so that Americans will remain safe from socialism.
Aware that climate scientists have mastered calculus and physical chemistry, he nonetheless will claim they can't read a thermometer.
He will attempt to persuade us that Barack Obama is either a Kenyan Muslim who hates European colonialism or, conversely, that the president is in love with European governments and wishes to make ours more like them.
There will be no sharper contrast between the president and his eventual challenger than on health care. The GOP presidential hopefuls all say they:
Hope to take away the right of adult children to remain on their parents' insurance to age 26.
Want to end tax reductions for businesses that provide employees with insurance.
Wish to take away the right of women to numerous benefits such as well-women exams, cervical cancer exams and diabetes screenings during pregnancy, without the need for a co-payment.
Want to allow people who can afford insurance to go through life without it, thus burdening the rest of us with the cost of their care.
In contrast, there is President Obama. He has:
Beaten back GOP efforts to do away with your Medicare and Social Security.
Led the United States to 21 straight months of private-sector job growth.
Signed the SCHIP Act into law so that millions of poor children can go to a doctor.
Signed the Lilly Ledbetter Act in order that women are guaranteed equal pay for equal work.
Lifted the Bush ban on stem-cell research to pave the way for findings that could lead to cures for diabetes, Parkinson's disease, spinal cord breaks and more.
Protected 2 million acres of national park land from drilling, logging and road building.
Set in place an agency to protect consumers from predatory lenders and outrageous credit card interest rates.
Nabbed Osama bin Laden, ended the war in Iraq, helped bring down Libyan dictator Gadhafi without the loss of a single U.S. soldier and generally supported other Arab Spring movements such as the one that ended the reign of Egyptian dictator Mubarak.
Extended the START treaty so that we may inspect Russian nuclear sites.
Deported more illegal immigrants than any other president.
Saved the U.S. auto industry and with it more than a million jobs.
Signed the repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell so that gays may continue to serve in the military as they always have, but without fear of being found out and discharged.
Forged and signed into law the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare), which provides more than 30 million Americans with insurance they otherwise would not have.
The president has accomplished all of that in the face of active opposition from Republicans in the Congress who have moved so far to the right that Ronald Reagan likely would change parties, were he alive today.
Wyatt, a psychology professor, is a Gazette contributing columnist.
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