Harry & Louise 2009?

One of the most contentious issues that health care negotiators are facing is the question of a mandate: should coverage be forced upon those who do not wish to have it, like car insurance? Obviously, the insurance industry is pushing hard for this, arguing that anything short of 100% participation doesn’t make business sense for them since it’s usually the healthy folks that opt out. Opponents say such a system would be too expensive and the price tag is already rising – the cost of the plan has hit $1.7 trillion by some estimates. So far, much of the talks have been generally amicable – even on the subject of a mandate, an idea business groups are warming to. There is strong opposition to mandating health insurance, though not from corners one would suspect, such as this gun group that seems convinced that universal health care will somehow make it easier for the government to take away their guns. This may seem wacky but all it takes – as Harry & Louise proved – is one good ad campaign that speaks to the fears of enough folks to bring down legislation this big.