So the field of Democratic Presidential hopefuls seems to have selected health care as the “hot topic” for next year’s campaign.  The frontrunners are all tripping over themselves and each other to propose one or another unworkable plan to revamp a health care system that, for the most part, works very well.  They’re all proposing solutions that look good at first glance, but don’t bear serious scrutiny.  Bill Clinton tried this during his 1992 campaign, but then was unable to pass any legislation, even with a Democrat-controlled Congress.  The average American voter is smarter than politicians seem to think, and they have long memories when it comes to big promises that are then not upheld.  The simple fact of the matter is that what these hopefuls say they’re trying to do with health care can’t be done (see January 18), but nobody has the integrity to stand up and tell the American people that.

It’s good, I guess, that the candidates have finally figured out that “I hate George W. Bush” won’t win an election, but selecting health care as the issue on which to defeat him is folly.