Oh, please, let's all be nice and let the president squander our best chance for health care reform
Change is hard. Ask an alcoholic or a congressman.
Some otherwise good eggs here have advocated that we step back, suck our thumbs and let President Obama handle all this unpleasant bickering over health care reform. As if all we have to do is trust the president and not get in his way by demanding too much.
Except that democracy doesn't work that way and health care reform is in deep trouble.
Democracy works by turning up the heat where it's needed, applying pressure where it will be felt and making noise that keeps elected officials up at night. Have we really done that with the issue of health care reform? No.
What we've done is gape and point our fingers like proper suburbanites at the minority of people who are shouting down town halls and brandishing weapons to chill public involvement. And that tiny fraction of a fraction of our population has succeeded in capturing the airwaves and hardening resistance to reform. They've been clear. We haven't. The president hasn't.
Sustained bitching is what's needed to pass real reform that includes a public option. But some are afraid to bitch and moan because they think -- wrongly -- that it might splinter the party, draw bad press, weaken the president or crash the legislation.
None of those things will happen just because we clamor for a public option. It's how change is made. The only way to balance the intense pressure of the Far Right. Neither our party nor our reputations nor Obama nor reform are so fragile that they can't withstand our raised voices.
Don't worry. Your representative, senators and Obama are used to bitching. Right now, the squeaky wheels of conservatives and Wall Street are getting the grease. They understand how the wheels of government get turned. They get it. Too many on our side don't.
Some otherwise good eggs here have advocated that we step back, suck our thumbs and let President Obama handle all this unpleasant bickering over health care reform. As if all we have to do is trust the president and not get in his way by demanding too much.
Except that democracy doesn't work that way and health care reform is in deep trouble.
Democracy works by turning up the heat where it's needed, applying pressure where it will be felt and making noise that keeps elected officials up at night. Have we really done that with the issue of health care reform? No.
What we've done is gape and point our fingers like proper suburbanites at the minority of people who are shouting down town halls and brandishing weapons to chill public involvement. And that tiny fraction of a fraction of our population has succeeded in capturing the airwaves and hardening resistance to reform. They've been clear. We haven't. The president hasn't.
Sustained bitching is what's needed to pass real reform that includes a public option. But some are afraid to bitch and moan because they think -- wrongly -- that it might splinter the party, draw bad press, weaken the president or crash the legislation.
None of those things will happen just because we clamor for a public option. It's how change is made. The only way to balance the intense pressure of the Far Right. Neither our party nor our reputations nor Obama nor reform are so fragile that they can't withstand our raised voices.
Don't worry. Your representative, senators and Obama are used to bitching. Right now, the squeaky wheels of conservatives and Wall Street are getting the grease. They understand how the wheels of government get turned. They get it. Too many on our side don't.
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Ripper...I'm not opposed to yelling loudly what we want. What I AM opposed to is the threats of bailing on the party and on the President.
He needs to know what we want him to do.
BUT (in huge bold font) if we are bluffing about bailing, we look foolish... if we aren't bluffing we're just voting for the repubs, and THAT is just plain dumb.
So keep yelling "WE WANT________!!!" Just leave off the "or we're going to vote for a 3rd party candidate and put the republicans back in the White House!" What a ridiculous threat.
August 18, 2009 1:55 PM | Reply | Permalink
IMHO.
August 18, 2009 1:55 PM | Reply | Permalink
Stilli, absent the threat of having their supporters pack up and leave, why would any elected official change course? What is silly is barking with no bite. The only thing that matters to elected officials more than money is votes.
I'm not bluffing about withdrawing my support. I have better things to do than make calls and canvas for candidates who sell out their constituencies.
August 18, 2009 2:06 PM | Reply | Permalink
That certainly makes a degree of sense, Rip...I'm just not willing to vote for a repub at this point in time, and voting third party or not voting at all equals a vote for them. Rock, meet hard place.
August 18, 2009 2:11 PM | Reply | Permalink
What election will you be voting in before health care reaches the floors of Congress?
August 18, 2009 2:19 PM | Reply | Permalink
Obviously none, but what does that have to do w/ anything? Who are you going to call or canvas for before then?
August 18, 2009 2:22 PM | Reply | Permalink
Get your point Stilli about 'bailing'. But trying to stand up some serious liberal primary challenges I think is more what people have in mind...
August 18, 2009 2:38 PM | Reply | Permalink
And in a perfect world, I would very much agree with you...just remember, every bad thing WE say about him in the primaries goes right into the repub playbook for the general...
Once again, rock/hard place. I hate it, but it is reality.
August 18, 2009 2:52 PM | Reply | Permalink
Please don't get me wrong...there is a part of me that feels very unprincipled talking like this...
I'm just trying to be realistic.
August 18, 2009 2:54 PM | Reply | Permalink
Stilli, what we say does not go into the Republican play book against Obama. Our criticism that Obama is not fighting for liberal issues would be thought of by conservatives as a credit to the president. The fact that he will never gain their votes make ours particularly valuable. He's betting we won't mind if he plays to the right. He should be informed sternly of his error.
August 18, 2009 3:10 PM | Reply | Permalink
I was thinking more in terms of Senators: Nelson, Bayh, Baucus, Conrad, etc. But I don't think tough primaries hurt a candidate, or hurt progressives. Edwards, for all his faults, forced Clinton and Obama leftward. And I don't think Clinton's mud was much use in the General...
But more generally, gotta get out of this 'fear the Repubs' defensive crouch. Every goddam time, caving to centrists because, 'agads, things could be worse'.
August 18, 2009 3:13 PM | Reply | Permalink
Look at history, Pugsley...they are better at this than we are. A little fear is healthy...but never the less, we all gotta do what we all gotta do...I'm just hoping this is all going to work itself out (with a big push from us) and it'll be a moot point. We'll have the public option and on our way to EVERYONE having access to affordable health care.
August 18, 2009 5:26 PM | Reply | Permalink
Hope your right, Stilli. Though there is something to that line about not minding despair, but it's the hope that's unbearable...
August 19, 2009 7:53 AM | Reply | Permalink
Instead of threats about bailing on the party, how about threats about bailing on health insurance companies?
Why not organize and threaten to drop the private option?
http://tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com/talk/blogs/tpmgary/2009/08/lets-threaten-to-drop-the-priv.php
Just trying to get a little more creative here.
August 18, 2009 2:28 PM | Reply | Permalink
I'm hoping your suggestion is mostly tongue in cheek. I don't believe it's practical to organize that. For one thing, most of the opponents of reform are the ones with insurance. They won't drop it to do you a favor. In addition, that way would cost a lot of lives. Bitching at Congress actually increases lung capacity. ;)
August 18, 2009 4:12 PM | Reply | Permalink
actually, I'm pretty serious.
How many Democrats with insurance are willing to boycott paying their premiums to affect change?
August 18, 2009 4:46 PM | Reply | Permalink
Probably not too many. There are two institutions you don't mess with. One is the IRS, the other is your insurance company. It's a matter of acknowledging who is on top, and baby, with these two, it ain't you.
August 18, 2009 4:51 PM | Reply | Permalink
I think we underestimate our power as consumers.
As a collective.
My suggestion may sound absurd on its face.
But sometimes you need a real revolution to shake things up.
August 18, 2009 5:36 PM | Reply | Permalink
Well, my friend, you are waaaaay braver than I am.
August 18, 2009 5:42 PM | Reply | Permalink
Maybe. I'm really just trying to change the way people think about the situation we're in. Now we can snap out of complacency by electing new leaders. And when those leaders waver, we can rally and rant and write and fax and rise up and force the issue.
And I'm doing that. Lots of us are doing that.
But corporations have a chokehold on our democracy. A chokehold.
And we have to start thinking outside the box. Money talks. We as consumers have to use that power in more creative ways.
August 18, 2009 6:12 PM | Reply | Permalink
Complaining about Obama the sekrit Republikin is tiresome, but yeah, I am all for accountability.
August 18, 2009 4:39 PM | Reply | Permalink
I'm with still idealistic on this one. And I'm sorry you think this makes me something other than a good egg. I have an idea. I make nice and you make nasty. Then let's compare notes and see who has changed the most minds, o.k.?
August 18, 2009 5:43 PM | Reply | Permalink
Didn't work for Prof Gates.
August 18, 2009 7:37 PM | Reply | Permalink
How about you pretend I've said you aren't a good egg, and I'll read my op-ed on health care reform in tomorrow's St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Then we can compare notes.
August 18, 2009 8:15 PM | Reply | Permalink
Sorry, I'm not good at make believe. If you meant it when you said it then I have an obligation to believe it.
August 18, 2009 9:01 PM | Reply | Permalink
I don't think I wrote what you think I wrote.
August 18, 2009 9:37 PM | Reply | Permalink
Amike, I think you misunderstood...he was saying we are good eggs, just misguided on this issue...Don't think he was offensive, or even intending to be...
August 19, 2009 12:55 AM | Reply | Permalink
I find nothing wrong with threatening political consequences for those who represent us, from the President on down, if they fail to provide the reform we need. That should be the case even for those whom we admire. The attitude I find deplorable is the one that says, "I'm so disgusted that the President and the Democrats have sold us out, I'm dropping out and not taking any further part in the process until the next election, when I'll vote the rascals out." That is truly "bailing" and it's counterproductive, placing one's personal frustrations ahead of the welfare of the nation.
I am not particularly optimistic at this point that a bill the Senate passes will include a public option, although it's not entirely out of the question, and while I don't see the public option as being the most central element of reform, I do strongly support it.
On the other hand, it is likely the House will include a public option in the legislation it finally passes, with even the Blue Dogs going along. In that case, the eventual outcome will depend heavily on the House/Senate conference to reconcile the two measures. Strong public support for a public option might then turn the tide, allowing it to be part of a final product that passes Congress. Even if that fails, it would create strong pressure for an alternative in the form of non-profit cooperatives to be designed with sufficient leverage to achieve many of the goals of a public option.
That is why a loud voice is what's needed, but a whiny accusatory voice is not.
August 18, 2009 10:07 PM | Reply | Permalink
Democracies get the leaders that they deserve.
August 19, 2009 12:31 AM | Reply | Permalink
Interesting we both posted about being tired of "nice" politics nearly at the same time. I just got back from a health care meeting where a very passionate person was shamed down about her passion...by other liberals.
You might want to read my latest post R.M.
and right on with this one.
Right on.
P.S. A few liberal police have posted here I see.
Best you get in line. Never mind how justified your feelings, our feelings, the nation's feelings--this critical time for this nation. You may be "offending" them. It is, after all, all about them.
August 18, 2009 11:38 PM | Reply | Permalink