sethb's Blog tag:tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com,2009:/talk/blogs/sethb//1332 2009-08-17T15:21:03Z Movable Type Pro 4.21-en Why the opposition? Fear that health care will work tag:tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com,2009:/talk/blogs/sethb//1332.285194 2009-08-17T14:50:37Z 2009-08-17T15:21:03Z sethb From the right's perspective the bitter legacy of the New Deal is not really the (relatively small) redistribution of wealth or the tax dollars they give up for their own protection.  The real issue is that for two generations after the enactment of Social Security, the Democratic Party absolutely owned blue collar voters. It's the prospect of another 40 years of solid-majority Democratic Congresses that engenders the lie-scare-bluff-yell-mock tactics of the Republican Party.  Their own policies, of course, have never proven successful or popular enough to keep them in power.
Barack Obama and the Democrats should be saying this all the time.  Forget trying to counter the lies.  Just repeat time and again that the opposition is so fierce because they're afraid the plan will work, and if it does, no one will elect them anymore. Taking that tack will remind people that the plan is, in fact, likely to work a lot better than the current system; that the opposition is playing politics, not talking policy; and that their desperation is not caused by legitimate concerns about the program but by fear for their own backsides.  
Every rant then becomes a fearful whine. And Americans--even "real" Americans--don't like whiners.
 ]]> A center-left country tag:www.talkingpointsmemo.com,2008:/talk/blogs/sethb//1332.242993 2008-11-05T15:01:58Z 2008-11-05T15:11:25Z The correlation between the extraordinary voter turnout and the Democratic victory should wake people up to the true political nature of the United States. For years, polls have shown that the population's opinion on issues, particularly social issues, was much... sethb Looking them in the eye tag:tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com,2008:/talk//17.221390 2008-10-02T13:44:44Z 2008-10-02T13:44:44Z If John McCain can't look Barack Obama in the eye, what's going to happen in diplomatic situations where spoken language is a barrier and body language is critical?... sethb ]]>