How the Dems will defend Obamacare

[OCinBuffalo]

Premise 1: Obamacare cannot stand on its own merits. While there are good ideas, they are vastly outnumbered by bad ones. Rational people know this is true. Irrational people will try to waste our time, but the smart Democrats know that this thing has the potential to keep doing them damage every day, all the time.

Premise 2: Due to these flaws, other concepts will have to serve as "blockers" for it.

Premise 3: Conventional wisdom = "Obama should have focused on the economy, not health care"

 

So what should the Democrats do to stop the health care bleeding, and possibly turn it around and into a positive for them?

 

1. Cue up talking point #1: "Anybody who focuses on health care now, and not on the economy, is repeating mistakes" etc. Therefore, Republicans can't talk about repealing health care, because they should be focusing on the economy.

2. Cue up talking point #2: "You can't criticize Obama for not focusing on the economy, and then not focus on the economy yourself. The fact is that Obamacare was necessary..." blah, blah. Therefore, Obama didn't actually make a mistake, and even if he did, Republicans are making the same mistake now, so it wasn't a big mistake. Marginalize, deflect, repeat.

3. If #1 can be sustained, the Dems will be able to delay final judgment on this until 2012, or perhaps even longer. This has the added bonus of placating the idiot Democrats who think Obamacare has nothing wrong with it, as you can say "hey we are delaying so that people have enough time to see that you are right".

4. If #2 works, then Obama gains cover on this issue, while at the same time marginalizing his attackers.

5. If all of this works, then we stop talking about the merits of the bill(content), and instead start talking about what we should be doing when(process).

 

If the Democrats can successfully morph the discussion from content to process, Obamacare has a chance to live on. Remember this is political strategy, not common sense or decency or accountability strategy.

Edited November 2, 2010 by OCinBuffalo

[3rdnlng]

Premise 1: Obamacare cannot stand on its own merits. While there are good ideas, they are vastly outnumbered by bad ones. Rational people know this is true. Irrational people will try to waste our time, but the smart Democrats know that this thing has the potential to keep doing them damage every day, all the time.

Premise 2: Due to these flaws, other concepts will have to serve as "blockers" for it.

Premise 3: Conventional wisdom = "Obama should have focused on the economy, not health care"

 

So what should the Democrats do to stop the health care bleeding, and possibly turn it around and into a positive for them?

 

1. Cue up talking point #1: "Anybody who focuses on health care now, and not on the economy, is repeating mistakes" etc. Therefore, Republicans can't talk about repealing health care, because they should be focusing on the economy.

2. Cue up talking point #2: "You can't criticize Obama for not focusing on the economy, and then not focus on the economy yourself. The fact is that Obamacare was necessary..." blah, blah. Therefore, Obama didn't actually make a mistake, and even if he did, Republicans are making the same mistake now, so it wasn't a big mistake. Marginalize, deflect, repeat.

3. If #1 can be sustained, the Dems will be able to delay final judgment on this until 2012, or perhaps even longer. This has the added bonus of placating the idiot Democrats who think Obamacare has nothing wrong with it, as you can say "hey we are delaying so that people have enough time to see that you are right".

4. If #2 works, then Obama gains cover on this issue, while at the same time marginalizing his attackers.

5. If all of this works, then we stop talking about the merits of the bill(content), and instead start talking about what we should be doing when(process).

 

If the Democrats can successfully morph the discussion from content to process, Obamacare has a chance to live on. Remember this is political strategy, not common sense or decency or accountability strategy.

 

 

No, just the thought of Obamacare hurts the economy so it needs to be repealed in order to improve the economy.

[Doc]

Talking points are worthless when you see that $1T was spent and premiums have only riser faster the past 2 (by election time 2012) years, and your employer is cutting or eliminatng health care coverage. That's all the Repubs have to say, while they focus (more, since as 3rd said, Obamacare affects the economy) on the economy.

[Booster4324]

Talking points are worthless when you see that $1T was spent and premiums have only riser faster the past 2 (by election time 2012) years, and your employer is cutting or eliminatng health care coverage. That's all the Repubs have to say, while they focus (more, since as 3rd said, Obamacare affects the economy) on the economy.

 

Stop, I hate the healthcare bill, but by 2012 we will not have spent 1 trillion on it. That is over the whole 10 years.

[Doc]

Stop, I hate the healthcare bill, but by 2012 we will not have spent 1 trillion on it. That is over the whole 10 years.

It's a "talking point" my friend. The major point is that health care premiums are rising faster and employers are covering less of it, if not dropping it altogether.

[Booster4324]

It's a "talking point" my friend. The major point is that health care premiums are rising faster and employers are covering less of it, if not dropping it altogether.

 

"Talking points" are part of the problem, not part of the solution IMO.

[Doc]

"Talking points" are part of the problem, not part of the solution IMO.

If it gets people to realize what a horrible law this is, it IS part of the solution.