If the federal government’s mandate that every person buy health insurance or face a penalty is so wonderful and necessary, where were the law’s supporters when the voters of Missouri went to the polls? The LA Times reports on yesterday’s results, in which residents voted — in a blowout — to challenge the individual mandate. (emphasis is mine)

Supporters of the healthcare law, including many policy experts, think a mandate with fines for people who do not comply is vital to preventing healthy people from purchasing insurance only after they get sick, thereby pushing up costs for everyone.

But as midterm congressional campaigns heat up, the administration and its allies were wary of raising the profile of a political battle they anticipated they would lose.

And leading backers of the healthcare law, including senior Democrats, consumer advocates and national medical groups, steered clear of the Missouri ballot fight.

This run-and-hide approach comes as a federal judge rules against the Obama administration’s effort to block Virginia’s challenge to the law.

In this brief interview, JLF’s John Hood discusses the folly of the individual mandate — essentially forcing Americans to buy a government-approved product or face a penalty.