President Obama: I fault myself for not being able to make the case more clearly

[USArmyParatrooper]

Despite what some might think I do have certain criticisms of President Obama. I do not believe he, or anybody is infallible. It just makes it difficult to discuss real criticisms when the rhetoric of a few goes way beyond the pale.

That being said, I've always felt the President could have done much more to make the case for the health care proposal. He did have some shining moments. Like when he caught a room full of Republicans off guard by offering a surprise Q&A session with him - by himself and laid the smack down on every single one of them.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6vxi27Jy85I

Unfortunately he was late in the game for that one. I am glad and encouraged that President Obama has acknowledged he needs to involve himself in more open warfare and less behind the scenes.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_obama_health_overhaul

Obama faults himself for not selling health law

FALLS CHURCH, Va. – Blaming himself for coolness to his health care overhaul, President Barack Obama is seeking to reintroduce the law to voters who don't much like or understand it six months after he signed it.

The White House gathered patients from around the country who have benefited from the measure, and the president rolled up his sleeves to address them Wednesday in a sunny Virginia backyard, highlighting changes that take effect at the six-month mark on Thursday. These include a ban on lifetime coverage limits, as well as free coverage for preventive care and immunizations. Young adults will be able to stay on their parents' plans until they turn 26, and kids with pre-existing health conditions won't be denied coverage.

(snip)

"I thank you from the bottom of my heart," Norma Byrne of Vineland, N.J., told the president, explaining she was benefiting from the law's provisions that are closing a Medicare coverage gap for prescription drugs.

But such gratitude isn't the norm.

A new Associated Press poll finds high levels of misunderstanding about what's actually in the law, and more people opposed than in support. And with crucial midterm elections six weeks away, the only Democrats running ads about the historic legislation are the ones who voted "no."

(snip)

Obama ruefully told his listeners, "Sometimes I fault myself for not being able to make the case more clearly to the country."

Still, he took on Republicans who want to repeal the law, daring them to tell that to a cancer patient covered by a new high-risk pool, or a parent whose child was able to get insurance despite a pre-existing health condition.

"It makes sense in terms of politics and polls," Obama said of the GOP position. "It doesn't make sense in terms of actually making people's lives better."

(snip)

There remains much confusion about the law's provisions. More than a third of respondents wrongly think it contains panels of bureaucrats to make decisions about people's care — what critics labeled "death panels" — and 65 percent believe congressional budget analysts said it would increase the government's debt. In fact, budget analysts say it will reduce red ink.

The biggest changes in the legislation, such as the new purchasing pools and requirement for everyone to carry insurance, don't kick in until 2014. Among changes taking effect this week:

_Young adults can remain on family health plans until they turn 26.

_Free immunization provided for kids.

_Free preventive care provided, such as mammograms and cholesterol screenings.

_No more lifetime coverage limits, and annual limits start to phase out.

_Plans can't cancel coverage for people who get sick.

_No denial of coverage for kids with pre-existing health conditions.

[Cha]

1. Good for the President coming out with what he

feels on this..that's one of the best things I like about him..he admits his mistakes and learns from them.

[avaistheone1]

4. I haven't seen the President learn from his mistakes at all.

I look forward to seeing that happen though.

[Cha]

9. Plenty of us have and all my friends & family talk about it..so that means something

to me.

[gateley]

2. I've often thought I'd like him to be able to present issues as clearly and concisely

as Rachel seems to always do. Step by step. If I wasn't familiar with the topic he was addressing, I'm not sure I would get the point he was trying to deliver.

ETA -- I think most of those in politics, who live in that world, assume we're aware of things when in actuality so much of it isn't absorbed by the majority of Americans. We need to be educated along with the statements.

[USArmyParatrooper]

5. He's actually very good at explaining things. He just needs to do it a LOTmore. (eom)

[gateley]

7. Yes he is, I think he just doesn't have the time -- tries (and needs) to get a lot

of info into a statement.

[gratuitous]

3. Recognizing that you have a problem is the first step toward solving it

Now, if only there was some way, as President of the United States, that you could get your message out to people. Think, everyone! How could President Obama communicate what his accomplishments are, and at the same time correct some of the misinformation/disinformation that has proliferated in the public discussion? Hmmmm. Is there any way that could be done? Any way at all?

:think:

[Radical Activist]

6. Well, he does appear in public, on TV and give speeches frequently.

The press usually does a good job of filtering out or spinning any progressive message though. If only there was a group of online activists helping to spread the word about progressive messages from the White House. Too bad we don't have that.

[gratuitous]

10. Ooh, good suggestion

But most of Chee-toh encrusted basement dwellers are a bit turned off right now. Being dismissed as "fucking retarded" or described as needing to be drug tested, or similar respectful encomiums has for some reason made these touchy persons feel like their input is neither needed nor appreciated. Go figure.

No, if only there were some people President Obama could hire or employ. I mean, he's just one guy, but if he had, I dunno, a group of people who could contact the producers of, like, the Sunday talk shows or something. They could call it his staff or his trusted advisors or something. And they could go on the teevee and explain his message.

Aaah, might as well flap my arms and fly to the moon. No, you're right, I'm sure of it; the communications failure here is the sole responsibiltiy of online activists. Those slackers.

[Radical Activist]

12. Obama frequently has people on the Sunday talk shows

and other media outlets.

Apparently you think Obama should respond to his corporate media critics but say absolutely nothing in response to online pundits who attack him even more. That's an odd double standard.

[FredStembottom]

18. Laff o' the week for me!

n/t

There's sooooo much that's sooooo hard to do!

[spin]

8. I believe that he put his trust in Pelosi and Reid ...

as they had far more experience than he did at pushing law through the Congress.

That was a mistake. Had he been out front leading the effort from the bully pulpit, the bill would have moved faster and would be more like most Democrats expected.

[craigmatic]

11. He's only telling the truth about what we already know. He's a very smart man

but sometimes I wish he or some of the people around him had a little more emotional intelligence.

[Mimosa]

13. Craigmatic, you nailed it.

Maybe obama will do better if he gets a better staff. Goodbye, Rahm, and good riddance. The same for Gibbs. I sense there will be a shakeup.

[Marr]

14. It's election season.

People are suckers, I swear to god.

We just sat through two years of a clearly center-right Presidency/Congress that consistently maneuvered itself into positions from which it had to "compromise" when compromise could've been avoided. They made it a point all along the way to insult liberals at regular intervals, and make it clear to their moneyed supporters that they are *not* part of "the left". Those weren't slips, that was highly directed PR.

Now it's late September and the numbers aren't looking so good, and they're making a few symbolic gestures-- but even those are weak, with backdoor exits built in for after the elections. The Catfood Commission will have it's announcements after you vote, and the question of tax cuts for the wealthy will conveniently be decided later, too. Elizabeth Warren gets a "kind of" appointment that will-- I would bet you $10-- evaporate after the department is set up and the elections are in the past. That's all representative of the general tack. And yet, we've got people anxiously lapping it up, saying, "oh, he's coming around".

It's almost funny.

[Scurrilous]

15. K & R

:thumbsup:

[Edweird]

16. Actually Candidate Obama was clear and well recieved. The problem is the bait and switch.

That tends to be a bit off-putting especially with a literally life and death issue like this.

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

17. Proud to agree with the President

:patriot:

[democracy1st]

19. Blames himself and they're still not seeling it,go figure. What a freaking joke.

[Zavulon]

20. As one of the unemployed who was told

that the passage of this bill kills any chances of me getting my job back, you'll forgive me if I'm less than thrilled. I now have no job and no health care, and apparently have to wait until 2014 when I'm forced to join the rest of those enriching insurance companies before any of those staggering benefits come my way.

Why we couldn't have just fixed Medicare and lower the age to cover everyone instead of this garbage when we ruled all three roosts is beyond me. President Obama couldn't spread enough butter and sauce on this shit sandwich to make to palatable to me.

[LWolf]

21. He faults himself for the wrong thing.

He's spinning the nation's dislike as a misunderstanding, rather than the reality. Some would oppose any reform under a Democratic President, regardless of what was in the bill. More oppose it, not because they don't understand it, but because it's not the bill they wanted to see.

He should be apologizing for shifting the reform discussion from health CARE to insurance reform.

He should be apologizing for leaving the for-profit insurance companies and their allies at the table, while turning away single-payer advocates.

He should be apologizing for signing a bill that, while it provides more people with insurance, doesn't make actual CARE any more affordable or accessible.

He should be apologizing for taking the wrong position on health care reform.

I won't hold my breath.

[Rex]

22. Well Barak you have a billion dollar industry fighting against you every minute of the day.

And then there is the GOP. Work on getting the M$M out of bed with big corporations that cause a lot of these problems and that will help.