Perhaps, it will be the backlash against the tactics of the President and his allies, smearing those protesting his policies, with unions using a sexually suggestive term to deride them and a Congressman equating them with Klan protests against Civil Rights legislation. Or perhaps it will be that most Americans don’t agree with Democrats that our health care system is as broken as described.
Imperfect it may be, in need of mending it certainly is, but an overhaul is not necessary. And since that is how the president is billing is plan, that’s why it’s not gaining traction with the American people.
The President’s traveling dog and pony show may help him hold onto his base, but he likely won’t succeed in winning converts to his cause. Most people are pretty happy with their health insurance and fear a radical overhaul like the Preident proposes.
To note, in every major poll, support for the various health care plans has diminished since the President turned his attention to the issue, “dropping like a stone,” in Michael Barone’s words. Importantly, those most passionate about the issue are overwhelmingly opposed:
Currently 26% strongly favor the legislation and 44% are strongly opposed. This reflects the fact that young voters who favor Democrats’ bills tend not to have strong feelings and older voters who oppose them tend to have strong feelings.
That’s why leftist contentions that our “side will be smaller” notwithstanding, more opponents of the President’s plan continue show up at rallies and townhalls than do proponents. Even when interest groups allied with the Democrats bus in their supporters.
For an interesting alternative take, check out Ambinder
The analysis in the link is reasonable, the downward spiral has likely been stopped. I’m not sure there was ever a real chance of channelling all that energy any differently.
White House, and Dem congressional leaders likely have reassured their people with campaign resources for the interim and 2010. They also have Big Pharma, and AARP onboard, which is like getting Barzini and Tattaglia to not kill Sonny.
The opponents next chance will depend on economic data. If the unemployment, deficit, growth numbers slide come fall, the spending case against big health care could be the last shot.
I hope all of you like your new generic prescriptions.
I wish he would act more like the President of a superpower rather than the savior of the common man. Will he ever get out of campaign mode and just do his job? Go run a country and get out of my life!
Prediction: In the next few days/weeks the President will back away from the rhetoric in an attempt to get anything passed. Pelosi has effectively been thrown under the bus!
Congress Exempt From Health Care Reform?
Starting on pg 113, line 22 of SENATE version of the Health Care Reform Bill (http://help.senate.gov/BAI09A84_xml.pdf) … The term ‘qualified individual’ means an individual who is NOT eligible for coverage under the Federal employees health benefits program under chapter 89 of title 5, United States Code. NOW, you surf over to US Code Title 5 Chapter 89, describing federal employee “Health Insurance” … http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/5/usc_sup_01_5_10_III_20_G_30_89.html
The way I read this convoluted legislation, is that Congress & Federal Employees will be exempted from health care reform. Congress gets something different from what the rest of America gets.
This doesn’t seem fair. Just sayin.
P.S. Wish those critiquing health care reform would quote chapter & verse from the bill. Otherwise, we risk RIDICULOUS CLAIMS being fed into the hopper, these will be debunked, and used against those undercutting the ridicule this legislation and its legislators deserve.
Please keep in mind that generic medicine often has small changes in formulation. This has been known to kill and yes it happened in the UK because a boy was allergic to something in the generic pill.
Personally, I will use generic brands if the doctor does not specify no substitution. There is, however, very little between the cost of the brand name and the generic.
I do not know how the US system handles prescriptions. We have a system where there is a co-payment that is now over $30 per script. If you need more than one it is a big chunk out of the budget.
My insurance, you know those evil companies, steer you towards generics and Mail Order Delivery (MOD) for maintance drugs) I’m lucky, I can take the generic Wellbutrin XL, I’ve a co-worker who gets the auditory hallucinations from it so she needs the ‘good stuff’.
Generics are still cheaper though.
The Democratic party destroyed itself when it chose to align itself fully with pro-choice activism. By constantly stating that they doesn’t believe the unborn to be fully human, the Democrats have no credibility when it comes to healthcare. Once you are willing to use tax dollars to pay for the killing of the inconvenient unborn, you are going to be willing to use tax dollars to kill the inconveniently old. Next up will be the inconveniently fat, the inconveniently stupid, the inconveniently gay, etc. The Democrats are paying the price of being pro-choice. No one believes that their health-care plan will be available to everyone without discrimination.
I believe that a government can provide universal health care, but only if that government has it written into its Constitution that each person has full human rights from conception to natural death. If we want universal health care, we need a pro-life amendment to the Constitution first.