I too would say, Newt Gingrich. Newt saw quite clearly that any party which could but through a Universal Health Care Plan was likely to hold control of the Congress for a quarter century at least. Since the Republicans (even though it had been a major part of the Republican Agenda since Nixon) were in no position to do so, he decided that the best course was to make sure that the Democrats could not. His campaign though used such scorched earth rhetoric that it then became impossible for the Republicans to propose one even when they were in position to implement one.
The long term effect of Newt's actions will likely mean that there are only two possible outcomes, either the US will continue to be the only industrialized nation without Universal Health Care, or that if implement, only a NON-Republican administration and Congress can implement one, fulfilling Newt's prediction. The Republicans will then be locked out of government for at least a quarter century.
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