Whether it’s a rally at the Statehouse, or Ohioans taking to Twitter, the topic of Medicaid expansion seems to be in the minds of everyone. We at 3BP have already weighed in on the subject, backing the expansion as the better of two bad options:
Others will disagree, but we believe Kasich’s decision on whether to expand or not to expand was the better of two crappy options. And it’s important to realize the government takeover of our nation’s entire healthcare system wasn’t Kasich’s idea.
Obamacare was forced on us by Obama, Reid and Pelosi. Obamacare was forced on us by the Supreme Court. Saying no to expansion does not stop Obamacare and expansion is not a referendum or approval of Obamacare.
Now, I get it. The expansion of an entitlement program is a hard pill to swallow. If we could, we would wish away Obamacare in a heartbeat, and with it, every bit of this discussion. But we can’t, and it’s now a reality we have to deal with it.
Yet sometime in the past few months, Kasich’s attempt to manage Medicaid expansion has somehow branded him, in the minds of some, as a left-leaning politician. Excuse me, but what? Yes, the idea of expanding Medicaid might not be a rallying cry for conservatives, but folks seem to forget a few things. Just ask yourself the following question:
The mess that Ted Strickland left for his successor was immense. And as our graphic shows, in just two years, Governor John Kasich has us turned around, and back on a path of fiscal responsibility that just so happens to be creating jobs at the fastest pace in the entire Midwest.
That is how it’s done. That is conservatism.
So the next time someone questions Kasich on his conservative positions—be it in the Medicaid debate or otherwise—let’s put a little pragmatism to work and realize exactly what Kasich has done for the State of Ohio.
We as Ohio conservatives have a lot to be thankful for, particularly given the fact that we live in a state that went for Obama just last year. We need to realize we don’t live in a true red state, where decision-making is an easy task. And Kasich has done as good a job as any in that political environment.
It’s for that reason that, though we may not always agree on everything, Governor Kasich leaves little doubt as to his conservative credentials.
Do Ohio a favor, share our graphic or this post on your own Facebook wall. Help spread the word.