--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If he'd been negotiating Obamacare…" description: "\"If he'd been negotiating Obamacare, Lincoln would have made the infamous 'Cornhusker Kickback' deal - $100 million in Medicaid funds for Nebraska to se..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cc6/joe-klein-12661_agreed_if-he-d-been-negotiating-obamacare-linco_3229325.png" --- # If he'd been negotiating Obamacare, Lincoln would have… ![“If he'd been negotiating Obamacare, Lincoln would have made the infamous 'Cornhusker Kickback' deal - $100 million in Medicaid funds for Nebraska to secure a Senator's vote - in a heartbeat, even if the press howled as it did when Barack Obama agreed to it, forcing its cancellation.” quote by Joe Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cc6/joe-klein-12661_agreed_if-he-d-been-negotiating-obamacare-linco_3229325.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cc6/joe-klein-12661_agreed_if-he-d-been-negotiating-obamacare-linco_3229325.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cc6/joe-klein-12661_agreed_if-he-d-been-negotiating-obamacare-linco_3229325.png) > “If he'd been negotiating Obamacare, Lincoln would have made the infamous 'Cornhusker Kickback' deal - $100 million in Medicaid funds for Nebraska to secure a Senator's vote - in a heartbeat, even if the press howled as it did when Barack Obama agreed to it, forcing its cancellation.” [Joe Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-klein/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He suggests a hypothetical scenario where political negotiations would be ruthless and transactional. **In simple terms:** He imagines a cut‑throat political deal. Key Takeaway Question the ethics of political bargaining. Themes politics ethics negotiation hypothetical Mood critical skeptical Type political commentary satire When to use this quote - legislative voting - senate lobbying - policy making Key Concepts realpolitik corruption campaign finance Questions to Reflect On - What are the moral costs of political deals? - How realistic is this scenario? A Different Perspective Such speculation can oversimplify complex policy issues. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Agreed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/agreed/) [Barack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/barack/) [Barack obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/barack-obama/) [Been](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/been/) [Cornhusker Kickback](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cornhusker-kickback-6102389/) [Deal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deal/) [Did](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/did/) [Even](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/even/) [Forcing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forcing/) [Funds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/funds/) [Funds Nebraska](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/funds-nebraska-6102388/) [He](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/he/) [Heartbeat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heartbeat/) [Infamous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/infamous/) [Infamous Cornhusker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/infamous-cornhusker-6102391/) [Kickback Deal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kickback-deal-6102390/) [Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lincoln/) [Made](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/made/) [Medicaid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/medicaid/) [Million](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/million/) [Nebraska](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nebraska/) [Negotiating](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/negotiating/) [Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/obama/) [Obamacare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/obamacare/) [Obamacare Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/obamacare-lincoln-6102387/) [Press](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/press/) [Secure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/secure/) [Senator](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/senator/) [Vote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vote/) [Would](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/would/) ## Related quotes > [If America is truly Israel's greatest ally, we should not be asking it to put its citizens and future at risk by forcing the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-hasner/if-america-is-truly-israel-s-greatest-ally-we-should-not-be-asking-it/) [Adam Hasner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-hasner/) > [Forcing states to take refugees doesn't take Europe any further.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-kurz/forcing-states-to-take-refugees-doesn-t-take-europe-any-further/) [Sebastian Kurz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-kurz/) > [Leadership is not about forcing your will on others. 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