Weigel

Koch Group Goes All-In on the New “Obamacare Kills Jobs” Message

I keep saying that Americans for Prosperity’s new, full-time focus on the evils of Obamacare is a major advantage for Republicans. David Koch’s group can run the political equivalent of an American Express Black Card again and again, loading up the airwaves with ads that amplify what will be, through November, the message of all Republicans. And here it is, the third AFP Obamacare ad in a month:

Smart yet odd move, using a Lou Dobbs quote to humanize the “jobs” (instead of “equivalent of labor”) whiff. If that quote from Jay Carney sounds odd, it’s because it was clipped a bit. The full quote was: “As part of this new day in health care, Americans would no longer be trapped in a job just to provide coverage for their families, and would have the opportunity to pursue their dreams.” Which also sounds silly, but makes clear that Carney is assuming the people with portable insurance will do something else with their lives. That may have been the Republican plan, too, and recently, but it sure as hell can’t be if this attack’s going to work:

So AFP’s free to run with the kulturkampf message that Obamacare will both kill jobs and turn people into loafers. Neither true nor intended.