Public Option Killed by Liberal's Lack of Guts and Inept Debating Skills
Liberals are thoughtful, methodical, intelligent, intellectually honest, and calculative. Unfortunately the Right Wing and the Republican Party do not conform to any of these values in any discourse. They are willing to distort, misrepresent, and lie even when confronted with reality. It is our ineptitude to take the fight to the Right in every venue that has allowed the potential killing of the Public Option in the healthcare debate.
I live in a Right Wing Republican town in the suburbs and am amazed at how flat footed we have been found in the debate. Republicans have been successful in creating the perfect cyclical argument that works at our most instinctively carnal level. They first destroy their followers' faith in the government to accomplish anything positive for its citizens. They then vilify the reason for said governmental ineptitude as some effort to do you wrong. Once that concept of government is metastasized into their brain it becomes easy to make any government program or solution a cause for irrational and violent opposition as in their distorted view anything done by the government is bad.
We have failed to rightfully vilify the insurance companies early in the debate graphically, often, and in every venue illustrating their greed and inflation of our healthcare system. Our response to Rick Scott's ads has been tepid at best. We never have readymade effective sound bites to keep the opponent off guard on TV programs. Republicans understand that the feebleminded respond to message repetition and use it effectively.
The only hope we have of getting a public option now is scaring the hell out of folks into believing the truth that without the public option things will get much worst. Moreover, we must get beyond the Internet, mobilize to town halls with support placards, add public option support stickers to our cars, write supportive letters to newspaper/online editors, create videos in support on youtube.com, iReports.com, and any other video site. Videos, letters, and editorial must contain simple minded sound bites that can be remembered subliminally by the reader/listener.
e.g)
- Without a public option insurance companies will continue to kill many you know.
- Without a public option you will not be able to afford health insurance.
- Without a public option Medicare will go bankrupt.
- Those opposing the public option worship private insurance and not Christian values.
- Those opposing the public option are the new Pharisees.
- No public option the currently insured will become the poor and uninsured.
- Without a public option your taxes will be raised.
- Those without insurance will remain so without a public option.
- Without a public option insurance companies steal our accumulated wealth.
REPEAT OVER AND OVER.
Your Senator's Contact HERE
Your Congress Person Contact HERE
Subscribe to my Healthcare Reform Twitter Updates HERE
Political & Healthcare Reform Websites
http://www.SinglePayerHealthcareNow.com
http://PoliticalTruths.info
Thank you for this post and links to Congress.
I have just sent messages to my state's Senators.
Rec'd.
August 16, 2009 10:26 PM | Reply | Permalink
Rec'd.
August 16, 2009 11:09 PM | Reply | Permalink
Agree with your call to action, but I'm not sure who these 'liberals' you're talking about are. Granted there are some progressives who get little or no media coverage in their efforts to promote meaningful healthcare reform, but the the bulk of the pack in congress seem to be pretty much centrists and/or in the pocket of the vested interests in the status quo. FWIW, I contact my elected reps as well as others every week or two regarding healthcare reform.
August 16, 2009 11:18 PM | Reply | Permalink
I agree with miguelito. Where are those amazing liberals?
Wow!
That sounds like an ad on some "dating liberally" hook-up site.
"And besides being thoughtful, etc... I also have beautiful yellow hair!"
August 17, 2009 7:20 PM | Reply | Permalink
The women are strong, the men good looking and the children all above average. A Superrace of humans - too bad they condemned themselves to oblivion by being unable to apply peanut butter to bread.
August 17, 2009 7:44 PM | Reply | Permalink
Apparently that avatar of yours is actually a tree covered with peanut butter. What did it ever do to you? Trees are precious! I am also precious. My life is made of peanut butter. Can I have your car?
August 17, 2009 8:16 PM | Reply | Permalink
Exactly so. Rec'd. In general, our side has done a pitiful job in organization, mobilization and messaging. Where are the 2 million who filled the Washington National Mall on Feb. 20? I feel alone with a few friends, as if the wind has been knocked out of me.
But like hell I'm giving up just yet.
August 17, 2009 6:45 AM | Reply | Permalink
"We have failed to rightfully vilify the insurance companies early in the debate graphically, often, and in every venue illustrating their greed and inflation of our healthcare system."
Great post overall but it isn't "we" who have failed. Our elected and appointed leaders in Washington have failed, as per their usual habit. Why? Well, it's kind of difficult for Obama and the DC Democrats to villify the insurance companies and their greed when they are accepting their money hand over fist isn't it? Uh huh. They "fail" to villify the insurance parasites because they are beholden to them and they don't want to bite the hand that feeds them.
August 17, 2009 2:54 PM | Reply | Permalink
Exactly right! All the choices involved the insurance companies and their for-profit health "care" which makes money by denying care.
The most intelligent left-wingers in the healthcare debate are like 99% in favor of SINGLE PAYER, which was the option left "off the table" from day 1. It's difficult to make the case for feeble "public options" when all the data and all the studies all say that non-profit insurance works better for less money!
The thugs never do this. They don't come into the situation compromising. They go for the jugular. Drown the government in the bathtub. Privatize social security and invest everyone's retirement with Madoff. That's the thug way! Say what you will about them but the truth is they get their shit done, ever since Reagan-time. Democrats? Not so much.
August 18, 2009 12:13 AM | Reply | Permalink
I'm fed up with being accused of failing when I've contacted my "representative" so many times I know their spam response by heart.
The only answer is a new party.
Dean 2012.
August 17, 2009 5:50 PM | Reply | Permalink
There is no question the thugs are experts at negative messaging and the dems still haven't figured out how to beat them at their own game. The fact that big media is still on the thug side is a problem.
Do not give up. We can still get good health care reform
August 17, 2009 6:25 PM | Reply | Permalink
This is where the Democratic Party really doesn't f-cking get it. The thugs have an endless variety of "think" tanks, plus FOX "News", the Wall St Journal, and a network of Talibangelists preaching their nutball agenda.
The Democratic Party used to have labor unions educating people about economic interests. But with the destruction of organized labor, the Democrats are missing their bullhorn. That organized labor is the key to educating Democratic voters is trivially proven by looking at voting habits and opinion polls. Yet, no Democratic Party leader is willing to go to the mattresses for Labor Rights!
Double or Triple private sector union membership and you'll get your 500,000 or 1,000,000 marching on Washington for single payer.
August 18, 2009 12:04 AM | Reply | Permalink
I call, every day. I call the DC offices and also the local offices. I call the offices of everyone on the finance committee, I call all the blue dogs. Nobody cares what I think. I wish there was a way we could coordinate and each day call each congressman 100 times a day.
August 17, 2009 6:49 PM | Reply | Permalink