The Supreme Court ruling upholding a key part of President Barack Obama’s healthcare law probably will not be a significant factor in his chances of reelection, a Los Angeles-based analyst said today.
“In all likelihood, this ruling probably isn’t going to have an impact on President Obama’s chances of reelection, given that the court largely upheld the law,” Dan Schnur, director of the Unruh Institute of Politics at USC, told City News Service.
“The true believers in both parties will find plenty here to talk about,” Schnur said. “For the next several days, both campaigns are going to have a lot to say. But after that, neither Obama nor (Mitt) Romney will have much incentive to talk about healthcare. The real issue is the economy.”
The court ruled that the mandate can stay as part of Congress’ power to tax.
As a matter of public policy, the ruling represents a victory for Los Angeles County’s uninsured population, said Dr. Mitchell Katz, L.A. County director of health services, in the county’s formal reaction.
As a result of today’s decision by the Supreme Court to uphold the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), over 80 percent of the 2.2 million people who are currently uninsured in Los Angeles County stand to gain access to affordable insurance coverage,” he said in a statement.
