Today’s New Hampshire Union Leader featured an editorial which most of the world has not yet seen. The reason is that they only post one editorial online each day, and this one has not yet made it onto the world wide web (hence, no link).
In any event, here’s the editorial (we will discuss below…):
Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty attacked Obama-care in an interview with this newspaper and in his speech to New Hampshire Republicans on Wednesday. He advocated a market-driven, rather than regulation-driven, approach to health care reform.
Though Pawlenty’s criticisms were directed at Democrats in Washington, the underlying message to New Hampshire Republicans was inescapable: We don’t want Romneycare.
In an August op-ed for The Washington Post, Pawlenty directly attacked the Massachusetts health care reform then-Gov. Mitt Romney created in 2006. In October, Pawlenty introduced his own reform plan in Minnesota. It involved reducing regulations and creating incentives for people to spend less on health care.
Pawlenty correctly sees health care as a defining issue for the 2012 presidential race. Knowing that his biggest potential rival in 2012 created a mandate-heavy “universal coverage” plan that is similar to Obamacare in some ways, he is positioning himself as the guy with the free-market, limited government solutions. Not a bad opening salvo for the 2012 primary.
(Emphasis mine)…
So why is this of interest?
First, as everyone knows, winning the Granite State’s “first in the nation primary” is vitally important for anyone hoping to win the Republican nomination.
Second, just The Des Moines Register still carries a lot of weight in Iowa, New Hampshire Republicans put a lot of stock in what The New Hampshire Union Leader editorializes. It is, after all, the daily newspaper for Manchester, the largest city in the state. It’s also the only statewide daily.
The Union Leader was tough on Mitt Romney in ’08, and he, of course, lost the state to John McCain (though it’s fair to say there were a variety of reasons for McCain’s victory). And while the 2012 primary may still be a long way off, this implies the editorial page hasn’t softened on him.
What is more, the health care debate arguably makes the 2012 political environment tougher for Romney to navigate than ’08. Of course, things will change between now and Election Day, but if this editorial is a harbinger of things to come regarding the way Romney may be treated in the Union Leader’s editorial pages, it may be rough sledding for him in the Granite State.
I own a mid-sized business in MA. When Romney was Gov, My taxes went down and my employees premiums went down as well. Romney didn’t stay long enough to tweak out any unforeseen problems. He vetoed the goodies that the MA legislature added LATER under Governor Patrick. The supposed problems with Romney’s health care program in MA are attributable to the changes made by the new governor – who has bloated it, over-regulated it and applied it to illegals. The cost of Romney care is less than 1.3% of the States budget. Patrick has chosen not to make Healthcare a Priority. If he would, the 1.3%, would be even less. Ma fiscal problems are a result of Patrick. He spends money like a kid in a candy store. In addition, Romney has stated that Individual states should determine health care issues in their states. This should not be mandated by Washington. a study was done recently shows that MA RESIDENTS still like the system. It seems MA HEALTH CARES biggest critics, DON’T LIVE IN MA!
ROMNEY / DeMINT in 2012!
The truth about health care and Mitt Romney can be found at http://mittromneycentral.com/on-the-issues/healthcare-reform/ There are too many lies out there!
Well, this is probably good news for Romney. Recently, whoever UL endorses for president outside of an incumbent loses. McCain in 08, Forbes in 00. Could be the kiss of death for Pawlenty.
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