Why the Democrats are losing the health care debate.

[SteveM]

The tea baggers, the town hall shout downs, the bullying. Yes, it's all industry-backed, it's pumped up by spittle-flying commentators, its winked at by GOP senators. And it's working.

The GOP far-right is in dominance. They have framed the debate, they dominate the news cycle, they have Democrats explaining, they have Democrats whining. The Democrats are unable -- or more likely, unwilling -- to do anything about it. It's the same show again, bis repetita.

The far-right knows us better than we know ourselves. They are highly intelligent, experienced, aggressive to a fault, and they don't let up. They know the Democratic Party is afraid of them and stridently unwilling to confront opposition, except when it occurs in its own "party." The Demo Party and President Obama have got nothing to offer to even an activist in the way of a health care proposal. I see 900,000,000,000 dollars and no clear answer to: Will it cover me?

How can you fight back when you don't know what you are fighting for?

Again, again, and again, the far right is landing punches. They may look foolish, ignorant, mean and dangerous -- and they may be taking some damage. But their aim is to damage Democrats even more and to break Obama.

They are well on their way. Once they break Obama on this issue -- the one issue that was supposed to unite Democrats across the board and be the rallying cry for a true change in power at the national level -- then they have broken Obama's first term and killed off health care reform for the next, oh, 10-20 years. And the Democratic Party will no longer have that big issue to rally around.

This battle is both old and new: the GOP far right with its traditional propaganda outlets, gangs of bullies, 24-hour bullshit repeated over and over again, set against the "new" digital underground of Obama and his forces that have won an election, but can't seem to do anything else but post messages. The images -- whether on traditional T.V. or the shaky drama of a hand-held -- are the same: dominance and cowing down. (Remember: Americans loath a bully; they loath the bullied even more.) So far, it's 21-zip early in the game, mainly because our leaders will not lead, are not used to winning, and only hope that it will all go away. And because the hot-shots of the new on-line era thought a plum was going to fall into their laps. No, a brick fell into them. Expect more.

In the "old" world of communication, it's still push & shove, stinking sweat, palpable fear and anger, and grinding durability. The far right can not only bring their "old" communication to bear, they have looked behind the curtain of the "new" way and found a control panel, unmanned.

Them boys don't compromise. They are in it to win, by any means necessary.

[RDANGELO]

1. They are not losing - it's in a stale mate.

http://www.gallup.com/poll/122234/Constituents-Divided-Highly-Partisan-Healthcare-Reform.aspx

According to this pole. about a third of the people have not made up their minds yet. I think it will be this way until there is a single bill. The media is pushing the notion that the Democrats are losing.

[SteveM]

5. I hope you are right...

Without the media's complicity, I have talked to many folks who wonder how long this one-sided battle will continue and whether or not the Democrats will respond; they are losing respect for the Democrats (most of these folks are independent).

The media is still a powerful force; some are blatantly pro-GOP, the rest completely accept the GOP Frame. It should be noted that Obama and the Democrats have failed to frame the debate, and failed to have an adequate strategy to counter the far-right. The far-right's stuff is nothing new and should have been expected.

[The_Casual_Observer]

2. They aren't winning anything. There will be heatlh care reform, this is

a sideshow, nobody cares about what those idiots do. They lost the election & this too, it's as simple as that.

[asjr]

3. I no longer am able to move at the speed of light,

but if I were I would be in front of news companies pounding the pavement boycotting them because they will not tell us the truth. It does no good to go before Congress. They do not listen to us. But the right wing cable companies are twisting news to suit themselves.

[Laelth]

4. 'Cuz their plan sucks?

That's the easy answer. It's true too.

We need single-payer now.

:dem:

-Laelth

[SteveM]

6. I agree with single-payer. Trouble is...

The Democratic Party as well as the GOP opposes this plan. The Dems (and it would appear the President as well) have been to too many insurance industry luncheons and taken too much money. Predictably, the Dems "compromised" with an industry which does not compromise, shook hands, then took a judo chop to the back of the neck from the very folks they compromised with.

No one respects anyone or any institution that does not fight back.

[Laelth]

9. We need a general strike, imho.

That's how they get things done in France. They still have them occasionally in Canada. We have to "make" our leaders do the right thing. Obama wasn't kidding when he said "we are" the change. We have to make him give us single payer.

http://sonic.net/~figgins/generalstrike

The government is, "and remains, in essence a committee for organising the affairs of the ruling class." Phil Mitchinson - May 2001

:dem:

-Laelth

[SteveM]

10. Not being an expert on the internet's use, it may not be necessary...

I am heartened that some of the sponsors of radio/T.V. right-wing hate-mongers are having second thoughts about the "exposure" they will get when something upchucks from the likes of Limbaugh and Becke. If there was a serious wide-scale effort to go after sponsors of these crud bags, a strike would not be necessary. One of the benefits of the I-Net is that is doesn't involve pen-writing, mailing and waiting for responses from some corporate PI officer. Millions of e-mails to ______________, Inc. might do more to tone down this kind of bullshit.

[alc]

7. they have a message, we don't

Their message is "reform is wrong" and they repeat it over and over. All their arguments go back to that message.

The dems message is sometimes "it's the right thing to do", or "the current situation is unsustainable", or "it will lower costs", or "no one should make a profit from health care" and other times the say "there are still 5 bills so nothing's been decided". They don't have a message because they haven't decided. Will there be a public option? Will there be cost controls? (On pharm/insurance/hospitals or restricted to prevention programs?) Will there be mandates? (Mandates on us to buy insurance or on insurers to provide good plans, or both?) Will 48 million additional people be covered? (that seems to me like the goal/message but I haven't heard it much for a few weeks)

[abumbyanyothername]

8. Call it the American Plan

Don't call it public option, don't call it single payer, don't call it Medicare for all.

Call the status quo the Insurance Company plan.

Emphasize that insurance companies operate to collect more premiums and pay fewer claims period. The more claims they can deny, regardless of who dies, they better they do. The more premiums they can collect, regardless of who can't afford them, the better they do.