Healthcare: Ever think that Obama is simply smoking out his adversaries?

[NJGeek]

1) He already has $950B approved.
2) It's probably a good thing to let the opposition, both within and outside the Democratic Party, to lay out their proposals and arguments first.

I have a feeling that President Obama has a few more tricks up his sleeve on healthcare.

[nadinbrzezinski]

1. And I have a feeling that we need to take to the streets

if we truly want it. The powers that be, and the Empire, don't want it

[RandomThoughts]

2. you know what I think your mistake is

and lots of people make the same mistake, you keep refiring to 'them' as if they have some power, laugh at them and see them for what they are.

[HopeOverFear]

4. Good point. It's all in the attitude

if we treat them like they have all the power, we'll always be on the defensive. Treat them like they're beneath US, not the other way around.

[RandomThoughts]

10. Well I like to think they are equal to us, but some of them think they are actually better.

I don't think I am better, they got faults I got faults.

But yea what you said is correct.

All power is perceived power, since as soon as someone does not follow a suggestion or even an order, how much power do they have?


Basically I do not believe I have more or less power then anyone else, I think all real power resides in one place.

[nadinbrzezinski]

13. You are telling me that the Democratic Congress and Senate don't have any power?

Wow... I did not realize the Dems lost the election in 2008

News to me.

Thanks for the update.

Here is a free clue for you. They are part of a ruling elite.

[RandomThoughts]

20. heh, I have a different view of things. n/t

[lindisfarne]

8. thurs June 25 it will be taken to the streets. See other DU posts. n/t

[nadinbrzezinski]

14. Good, will be there

[Autumn]

3. No he is a politician not

a magician.

[sandnsea]

5. Townhall on ABC, Wed at 10 e

We'll see what he's got up his sleeve then.

I wish more people were participating in the sickout on Thursday and the Day of Service on Saturday though.

[Merlot]

6. I would agree with you.

But I also think Obama NEEDS us to make a lot of noise and put the pressure on regarding single payer. It has to be what the people want, not what Obama wants.

He has said "Make me do it" regarding other things, and I think this is the same.

[BlooInBloo]

7. (shrug) I'll never be privy to the inner details of how the sausage is getting made...

So there's really only 2 things I care about:

1) Did he try?
2) Did he succeed?

Obviously I would greatly prefer the answer to both questions to be 'yes', but I can live with just the first answer being 'yes'.

[lindisfarne]

9. I might be able to live with Obama if the 2nd answer isn't YES, but not with Congress. n/t

[Skittles]

11. please, give it up

[HopeOverFear]

12. give what up?

[CakeGrrl]

15. Hmmm...maybe the idea that Obama may have moves we haven't considered?

You see, the common-sense, truly progressive realists who don't have those nauseating stars in their eyes over the President have it all figured out. He's just a run-of-the-mill corporate-owned centrist who can't see past appeasing the RW against the interests of those who put him in office.

There's no way he could know more than they about how Washington works, or how to play the game against the entrenched power structure. He's just part of the problem.

Of course, I'm being ironic, but I think I've got the perspective of more than a few people around here pretty well summarized.

:eyes:

[HopeOverFear]

18. lol

[scheming daemons]

19. There's a whole thread of 'em with nearly 40 recs happenin' right now...

..

Not linking to it... but it talks about the "numbers of discontented" growing....

:eyes:

[Oregone]

16. Right, Chessmaster!

Riiiight

[scheming daemons]

17. Stop it! You know that Obama has quit smoking...

;-)

[avaistheone1]

21. I hope you are right. But the lobbyists are very powerful and seem to be in bed with almost every

lawmaker in D.C.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

22. I think he has some sort of strategy that isn't quite apparent to everybody yet

It seems like everybody has forgotten Obama's penchant for the "rope-a-dope" strategy, not to mention the fact that, like you suggest, he may just be waiting to see what kind of plans everybody else is throwing out there and what exactly he is dealing with in terms of opposition instead of instantly throwing his full weight behind a specific plan. He has articulated a series of principles and an outline for a plan that he would like to sign, which seems plenty reasonable to me and so far, I haven't heard that he has backed off from supporting a "public option," which, to me, is the most necessary element of any reform effort and it is apparent that he needs to build up some more support for it in Congress (which is hopefully what he is doing behind the scenes).

Of course, thinking like THIS might prompt others here to scoff at you for thinking that Obama might be "playing chess" despite the fact that he showed us time and time again during the election that he really does have a plan, he knows what he is doing, and will ultimately prevail- even if it isn't readily apparent to everybody at the time. The current climate here at DU reminds me a lot of the general election- where a lot of us were constantly pushing Obama to "toughen up" and "show more leadership" and were worried that he was being too "timid" about forcefully engaging his opponents- the whole time he and his team were quietly continuing to work on his "ground game" and building up the support necessary to win in the end. Even I was astounded at the "blowout" victory he ultimately achieved and I'm wondering why exactly I doubted his ability to win at the time.

Of course, I suppose that the political chieftains here at DU could very well be right- that Obama is weak and "timid" and has become consumed by and is now under the thrall of the dark side (i.e. the corporate and military overlords of the Sith). I guess everybody ultimately has to decide for themselves what they believe about the man and whether he is fighting for us or is now nothing more than the latest "tool" of the corpo-military Imperials running our country in the background.

I personally haven't lost *hope* in his ability to prevail yet, however. It's still going to take all of us though working together against the forces of darkness to make it happen. We shouldn't expect that Obama will solve all of our problems for us singlehandedly and that our only obligation is to sit behind our keyboards and tell him what we want him to do (or not do).