Jared Golden supports really popular health policies. A Republican ad lies about them.

Jared Golden, Democratic candidate for ME-2.

Jared Golden, the Democratic nominee for Maine’s Second Congressional District supports really popular health policies. His opponent, Rep. Bruce Poliquin, does not.

So what do we see from Republicans? An ad that flat out lies about Golden’s views and tries to scare people.

Let’s break this down:

First, what does Golden support?

Regarding health care, Golden’s website includes the following:

  1. Moving towards a universal healthcare system like Medicare-for-All.
  2. Expanding Medicaid.
  3. Improving the Affordable Care Act.
  4. Cutting prescription drug costs by having the federal government negotiate for lower prices.
  5. Allowing for prescription drugs to be safely imported from countries like Canada in order to decrease costs.

But Republicans’ ad is not about a single one of Golden’s actual policies. 

In their ad, which you can see at this link, the narrator uses the “s” word (socialism) and specifically mentions issues in Great Britain’s health system, a system that is nothing like what Golden supports and has proposed.

Great Britain has what is called a national health service system.

In a national health service system, most medical facilities are run by the government. In these facilities, doctors and nurses are government employees. Whatever issues that British system is experiencing and why has nothing to do with Golden because it’s not what he’s proposed.

Golden wants to achieve universal coverage by moving toward something like Medicare-for-All, not by adopting a British style national health service.

Kaiser Health Tracking Poll. March 2018.

Americans know how Medicare works.

It was signed into law 53 years ago today.

And it’s a beloved program.

In fact, it’s so beloved that the idea of Medicare-for-All, which Golden supports, is very popular — particularly a Medicare-for-All Option for anyone who wants it, which has 75% support. Only 20% — 2 in 10 people — oppose that policy idea.

So Republicans are lying about Golden’s support for a very popular health policy.

Moreover, this is happening right after their nominee, Rep. Poliquin won an award from a Koch brothers supported entity that wants to privatize federal health programs as well as Social Security. Poliquin also voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act last year. Those positions are very unpopular.

These two candidates have different views about health policy and those should be discussed as part of the campaign.

But instead of defending Poliquin’s heath care votes and ideas or criticizing what Golden actually believes about health policy, Republicans have chosen to attack Golden by lying about Golden’s positions.

Amy Fried

About Amy Fried

Amy Fried loves Maine's sense of community and the wonderful mix of culture and outdoor recreation. She loves politics in three ways: as an analytical political scientist, a devoted political junkie and a citizen who believes politics matters for people's lives. Fried is Professor of Political Science at the University of Maine. Her views do not reflect those of her employer or any group to which she belongs.