The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #122219 Message #2702273
Posted By: heric
17-Aug-09 - 12:06 PM
Thread Name: BS: Nationalized Healthcare, good? bad?
Subject: RE: BS: Nationalized Healthcare, good? bad?
So far, Obama hasn't captured the middle. The Democrats don't need the right. They look silly and ineffectual blaming the far right for their own failure to persuade the middle.
Besides funding, I think Obama has to market and explain four things about the public option:
(1) it is needed by people who don't but should have entitlements to coverage under the existing public options;
(2) it is needed by people who don't have adequate benefits under the existing public options;
(3) it will save people who do not suspect they could run afoul of the employment based coverage they think they will always have;
(4) it will not coerce people away from their existing insurance into a public program, but accept them when they will be glad it's available.
Four is a bit tricky*, but if they tell the truth on all other things so their credibility is high, and they've structured the program so that (4) is true, they should be able to remain on target.
*especially where employers can dump their plans and give 8% of payroll to the government, and automatically enroll their employees.