The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is launching a new board game-themed attack hitting 53 vulnerable House Republican lawmakers and candidates on what they characterize as the negative consequences of the GOP’s healthcare agenda.
{mosads}The paid campaign features an interactive board game, modeled after the Game of Life, called “Sick n’ Broke,” which an accompanying Web video calls “The game Republicans play with your health.”
As a marker moves across the board, it stops on squares that outline what Democrats see as the impacts of the GOP agenda on healthcare reform.
And they begin as early as before the player is born, with the first square on the board reading “DIY C-Section,” a reference to a 2012 draft GOP budget that cut millions from the Maternal and Child Health Block Grants. The subsequent square reads, “You’ve been born! Congratulations!” but two spots later, you’re informed “Uh-oh. Born with a pre-existing condition. Go back two spaces.”
The rest of the board highlights impacts to healthcare for young adults and women, as well as care for seniors, including references to ObamaCare’s provision that allows young adults to stay on their parents’ healthcare reform up to age 26, and a square that reads, “Ladies, want contraception? ‘Slut.’ (Men, no problem.)”
The DCCC is launching the attack via Twitter ads in the districts of a number of their top targets this cycle, like Reps. Mike Coffman (R-Colo.) and Steve Southerland (R-Fla.), as well as those with top Republican contenders, like Massachusetts’ 6th District, where Republican Richard Tisei is looking for a rematch with Rep. John Tierney (D).
It’s Democrats’ latest effort to refocus the healthcare debate on what Democrats see as the dire consequences of repealing healthcare reform, and away from the bumpy rollout and persistent issues with ObamaCare.
Those issues have helped shift the national climate in favor of Republicans heading into the midterm elections, and helped deliver Republicans a win in a key bellwether special House election in Florida last week.
Democrats admitted part of the problem they faced in that election was turning out their base, and that ObamaCare is a galvanizing force for Republican voters.
While Democratic Party leaders have insisted before candidates will run on ObamaCare and win this cycle, the Florida special seemed to indicate the law remains at best a wash for Democrats.
But the party does believe it can turn it into more of a positive if Democrats continue to point out the advantages of ObamaCare, and the negatives of repeal or any Republican alternatives — and the “Sick n’ Broke” board game is yet another attempt to do just that.