{"id":2529129,"date":"2026-01-03T14:32:01","date_gmt":"2026-01-03T19:32:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/larry-elder-obamacare-was-is-and-will-always-be-a-problem\/"},"modified":"2026-01-03T14:35:36","modified_gmt":"2026-01-03T19:35:36","slug":"larry-elder-obamacare-was-is-and-will-always-be-a-problem","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/larry-elder-obamacare-was-is-and-will-always-be-a-problem\/","title":{"rendered":"Larry Elder: Obamacare Was, Is And Will Always Be a Problem"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Flarry-elder-obamacare-was-is-and-will-always-be-a-problem%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2529129&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Larry Elder argues that the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare), signed by President Obama in 2010 without Republican support, was initially unpopular but was expected by Democrats to create a durable political constituency adn pave the way for larger goverment-run solutions if the law underperformed. He cites Brookings and polling data showing ACA approval grew by 2023 and support for a federal responsibility to ensure health coverage rose through 2024-25. Elder contends the Constitution dose not mandate a federal takeover of health care and criticizes lofty ACA promises (lower costs, preserved plans and doctors, reduced deficits and ER visits) as unmet. He advocates market-based alternatives-competition, fee-for-service, buying insurance across state lines, and high-risk pools-while invoking George mcgovern on consumer choice and Alexis de Tocqueville on American voluntary charity to argue that private associations and generosity could help the needy. The piece concludes that health care is a commodity best addressed by markets rather than <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/debt-ceiling-emerges-as-potential-trump-desantis-battle-ground\/\" title=\"Debt ceiling could be Trump-DeSantis battleground.\">expanded federal control<\/a>, though Elder acknowledges that arguing this politically is difficult.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<section> \t\t\t\t<script>console.log(\"ad slot (AC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC2)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC3)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC4)\")<\/script><\/p>\n<p>President Barack Obama signed the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, in 2010 without a single Republican vote in the House or the Senate. When Obama announced it to the nation, Vice President Joe Biden could be heard on a hot mic telling Obama, &ldquo;This is a big f***ing deal.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>It was no exaggeration, particularly given that most Americans opposed it. The liberal Brookings Institution think tank recently wrote: &ldquo;The ACA was conceived in unpopularity. In October 2010, the month before the midterm elections, only 42% of Americans had a favorable view of the ACA. Republicans hated it &mdash; only 11% held a positive view &mdash; and independents didn&rsquo;t like it, either (only 34% were favorable toward the ACA). Even among Democrats, approval stood at just 69%, down nine points from six months earlier.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Democrats gambled two things would eventually happen.<\/p>\n<p>First, Democrat politicians expected those without <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/dcs-election-takeover-is-unconstitutional-and-impractical-leave-it-to-the-states\/\" title=\"DC\u2019s Election Takeover Is Unconstitutional And Impractical \u2013 Leave It To The States\">health care insurance<\/a>, pre-Obamacare, to become a large, loud, and sympathetic special interest voting group.<\/p>\n<p>Second, when Obamacare failed to fulfill its ridiculous free lunch promises &mdash; bend the cost curve; save the average family $2,500 a year in premiums; allow people to keep their doctor and their health care plan; reduce the deficit; improve quality; reduce visits to emergency rooms; provide greater accessibility to providers &mdash; Democrats would be ready with a &ldquo;solution.&rdquo; Whether they call it &ldquo;single payer,&rdquo; &ldquo;the public option,&rdquo; or &ldquo;Medicare for all,&rdquo; the federal government, and therefore taxpayers, should pay.<\/p>\n<p> <script type=\"text\/javascript\"> \t\t\tif ( getCookie( \"ff_subbed\" ) ) { \t\t\t\tdocument.getElementById(\"stnvideo\").remove() \t\t\t} else { \t\t\t\tdocument.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\", function() { \t\t\t\t\tfunction loadScript(src) { \t\t\t\t\t\tconst script=document.createElement(\"script\"); \t\t\t\t\t\tscript.src=src; \t\t\t\t\t\tscript.async=true; \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.body.appendChild(script); \t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\tfunction findPreviousParagraph(selector, x) { \t\t\t\t\t\tconst targetElement=document.querySelector(selector); \t\t\t\t\t\tif (!targetElement) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.warn(\"Target element not found.\"); \t\t\t\t\t\t\treturn null; \t\t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Get all <\/p>\n<p> elements in order as they appear in the document \t\t\t\t\t\tlet paragraphs=Array.from(document.querySelectorAll(\"p\"));  \t\t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Find the index of the last <\/p>\n<p> before the target element \t\t\t\t\t\tlet targetIndex=paragraphs.findIndex(p=> p.compareDocumentPosition(targetElement) & Node.DOCUMENT_POSITION_PRECEDING);  \t\t\t\t\t\tif (targetIndex===-1 || targetIndex <x) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.warn(\"Not enough paragraphs before the target element.\"); \t\t\t\t\t\t\treturn null; \t\t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\treturn paragraphs[targetIndex - x]; \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Set up IntersectionObserver \t\t\t\t\tfunction observeElement(element) { \t\t\t\t\t\tif (!element) return;  \t\t\t\t\t\tconst observer=new IntersectionObserver( \t\t\t\t\t\t\t(entries)=> { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tentries.forEach(entry=> { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tif (entry.isIntersecting) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.log(\"Paragraph is now visible:\", entry.target.textContent.trim()); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tloadScript(\"https:\/\/embed.sendtonews.com\/player3\/embedcode.js?fk=s28Az7AY\"); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tobserver.disconnect(); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t}, \t\t\t\t\t\t\t{ threshold: 0.5 } \/\/ Adjust threshold as needed \t\t\t\t\t\t);  \t\t\t\t\t\tobserver.observe(element); \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Find the 1st paragraph before #stnvideo and observe it \t\t\t\t\tlet paragraphToObserve=findPreviousParagraph(\"#stnvideo\", 2); \t\t\t\t\tobserveElement(paragraphToObserve); \t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t} \t\t<\/script> <\/p>\n<p>Democrats knew few politicians would dare describe health care as a commodity like a car, a computer, or a flat-screen TV. They bet few Republicans would say, &ldquo;If the goal is accessibility, at the cheapest cost with the best incentives for innovation, this requires more competition and less government interference.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Brookings writes, &ldquo;By March 2023, 62% of Americans had a favorable view of Obamacare&hellip; Democrats are now nearly unanimous (94%) in viewing (the Affordable Care Act) positively, along with 64% of independents. &hellip; (A)pproval among Americans who identify as Republicans now stands at 36% &mdash; five times more support than the ACA enjoyed with the party&rsquo;s loyalists in 2012.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>As for the federal government&rsquo;s role, Brookings writes: &ldquo;As Obamacare was just beginning to come online in 2013, Gallup found that just 42% of Americans believed it was &lsquo;the responsibility of the federal government to make sure all Americans have healthcare coverage.&rsquo; By the end of 2024, the proportion endorsing this idea had risen to 62%. The Pew Research Center asked a similar question in November 2025 &mdash; &lsquo;Is it the federal government&rsquo;s responsibility to make sure all Americans have health care coverage?&rsquo; &mdash; and found that 66% of Americans responded in the affirmative.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The Constitution limits the duties and obligations of the federal government. Health care insurance is not included. A federal takeover is not the only path forward.<\/p>\n<p>Former Democrat presidential candidate George McGovern, a former member of the Senate with unquestioned liberal bona fides, wrote a 2008 Wall Street Journal op-ed entitled &ldquo;Freedom Means Responsibility.&rdquo; McGovern wrote: &ldquo;Buying health insurance on the internet and across state lines, where less expensive plans may be available, is prohibited by many state insurance commissions. Despite being able to buy car or home insurance with a mouse click, some state governments require their approved plans for purchase or none at all. It&rsquo;s as if states dictated that you had to buy a Mercedes or no car at all.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>What about those who cannot afford health care insurance or those with preexisting conditions?<\/p>\n<p>Alexis de Tocqueville, in his famous book &ldquo;Democracy in America,&rdquo; marveled at the generosity of the American people, and at their willingness to arrange mutual aid societies to help the needy. Tocqueville said, &ldquo;The Americans make associations to give entertainment, to found seminaries, to build inns, to construct churches, to diffuse books, to send missionaries to the antipodes; in this manner, they found hospitals, prisons, and schools.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Health care truly is a commodity. The &ldquo;answer&rdquo; is free markets, competition, and fee for services. Many states have set up high-risk pools for those with preexisting conditions. As for the poor, America is, as Tocqueville found, a caring, generous nation. If government got out, the people would step in. But good luck trying to win elections while making such an argument.<\/p>\n<p><em>Larry Elder is a bestselling author and <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >nationally syndicated radio talk-show host<\/a>. To find out more about Larry Elder, or become an &ldquo;Elderado,&rdquo; visit www.LarryElder.com. Follow Larry on X @larryelder. To read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate webpage at www.creators.com.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>COPYRIGHT 2026 CREATORS.COM<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>The views and opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and do not reflect the official position of the Daily Caller News Foundation.<\/em><\/p>\n<div class=\"disclaimer\">\n<p><em>All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/union-membership-plummets-to-record-low\/\" title=\"Union Membership Plummets to Record Low\">legitimate news publisher<\/a> that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter&rsquo;s byline and their DCNF affiliation. 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