Published on Sun, Mar 21, 2010 at 09:44 | Source : Reuters
Updated at Sun, Mar 21, 2010 at 11:50
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What does US healthcare reform mean for Obama?
What does US healthcare President Barack Obama and his fellow Democrats are rallying congressional Democrats to support his effort to revamp the USD 2.5 trillion US healthcare industry before a critical vote in the House of Representatives on Sunday.
If it fails, will healthcare cost the democrats their majorities in congress?
The party that holds the White House typically loses seats in Congress in the first election after a new president takes office.
The Democrats lost their majorities in Congress in 1994, after Clinton tried and failed to reform healthcare, amid Democratic divisions and high voter turnout.
Failure this year would likely hurt them again. After a year of political squabbling about healthcare, voters will be angry at both parties, but Democrats will be hurt more.
"If it doesn't pass, then I think the scenario from '94 has a more likely impact because voters will be disappointed that, after all the fighting and everything they put up with for the last year, they don't see results," Kendall said.
Democrats and Obama will also be hurt because they had the majority, made the effort, and failed to win.
"If you can't lead, you look weak, and Americans don't like weakness," Kendall said.
