Herzlinger--who stresses that she speaks for herself, not the campaign--and Republican thinkers like Ross Douthat and Reihan Salam, co-authors of Grand New Party, think they see a politically sellable economic tradeoff: The idea is to use sweeping governmental rules to open health-care markets to more diverse and efficient private companies...

To Douthat and Salam, embracing old bugaboos is the cost of strengthening the G.O.P. in national elections. They note that the traditional conservative answer to health care--less regulation, spending caps, tax-code adjustments--will drive up health-care costs for the poor and the old, just as Republicans are trying to erase the memory of what Bush has done to average wage earners: “No working-class political movement can succeed, though, unless it makes a push for reform in what may be the greatest source of anxiety for working families--the country’s health-care system.” LINK