A Mayberry Miracle for healthcare?

It looks like Andy Griffith is quickly becoming the endorsement of last resort for the Democrat Party and the person to turn when the public turns against you. In a new ad (below), Griffith explains all the great new benefits for Medicare recipients under the new health care law: free checkups, lower prescription costs, and new fraud protections. “I think you’re gonna like it,” proclaims a smiling Griffith. Of course, what he doesn’t tell you is all the negative side effects that will hit seniors as the law goes into effect. Seniors currently enrolled in Medicare Advantage will be forced out of the program. There will be reduced access to care as millions of Baby Boomers retire, and the shortage of doctors grows worse. The new law also imposes new taxes on drugs and medical devices while reducing Medicare payments, directly attacking the wallets of seniors nationwide. While Griffith may be wrong on his appreciation of the new health care law, his presence in promotional ads for the law does have significance. For the past decade, Griffith has been used by Democrats to turn public opinion and stem losses in public opinion polls. If Team Obama is already hoping for a Mayberry Miracle for healthcare, it shows that Democrats are desperate to prop up their new entitlement program and that public is willing to support a Repeal and Reform platform.

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By Marc Seelinger
Marc is a student at the UNC-Chapel Hill studying economics and Chinese. When not at school, he lives in Raleigh with his family. At UNC, he’s the Executive Vice-Chair of the UNC College Republicans, and writes for the Carolina Review, UNC’s only conservative student publication. This summer, Marc has been working with Young America’s Foundation as an intern at the Reagan Ranch Center in Santa Barbara, CA.