Maddow's "Pizza Parable" Demonstrates Futility Of "Bipartisan" Health Care Reform (VIDEO)

Two people agree that the only prescription for their hunger is to order a pizza. But what happens when one of those people doesn't want pepperoni, doesn't want sausage, doesn't want olives, doesn't want cheese, doesn't want crust, doesn't want any of the components essential to making a pizza? Well, if the other person doesn't step up and act pro-actively to get fed, everyone starves. That's the parable that Rachel Maddow and her colleague Kent Jones performed on The Rachel Maddow Show last night, and yes: this is an effective demonstration of the strange relationship that has developed between the pro-reform Democratic Party and their Republican colleagues, who say they want health care reform, but who've made it clear that they won't actually be voting for reform, no matter how awesomely "bipartisan" it is.

[WATCH]

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It's a pretty good take on the matter. Especially in light of the recent news that the White House is mulling maybe...potentially...regretfully!..."going it alone!" I know! It's so sad! But maybe the White House will just have to content themselves with serving the voters that put them in office and provided them with large Congressional majorities on the premise that they might use some political capital on health care reform!

[via Media Monitor Kelly Caldwell.]

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Comments

[Kellin Atherton]

12:49 PM on 09/04/2009

Maddow is truly one of the most effective journalists out there today.

[tonydon]

04:00 PM on 09/04/2009

You said it

[NoSandwiches]

03:05 PM on 08/24/2009

look, we had to give them a chance to participate.
otherwise we would be no different from the Republicans
the Republicans operate on the "father knows best" model where one person calls the shots and then it is my way or the highway
the Democrats operate on the "let's call a family meeting" model where we discuss issues and allow input...
We have some brats in congress who want to exorcise power but don't want to help
Time to call an end to the meeting.
time to pass a bill that takes into account everyones input but that operates in the best interests of the family.

public option, anyone?

[TheRealMcCoy]

05:02 PM on 08/22/2009

My pitch for a new show

Rachel Maddow, Jon Stewart news hour.....

No wait a minute, it would never fly, the intelligence factor on that show would be way to high for network TV executive to deal with.

[tonydon]

04:01 PM on 09/04/2009

And the majority of the viewing public

[imfedup]

11:47 AM on 08/22/2009

She's brilliant, as usualy, and absolutely correct. They don't want reform, no matter what they say. They are 1) in the pockets of the special interests and much more concerned with their gravy trains than the suffering of their constituents, and 2) terrified that Obama will succeed at ANYTHING. They will do whatever is necessary -- lie, cheat, and steal -- to make sure Obama does not get credit for anything whatsoever that is positive or popular. THEY are going to be singly responsible if no meaningful reform happens. THEY need to take the heat for that failure and lose the seats. Why ANYONE is blaming Obama or the Dems for this B.S. is beyond me.

[justins79]

06:28 PM on 08/21/2009

Part of me wants the Dems to go back to the beginning today, right now, immediately and rewrite the legislation to be single-payer with all the trimming added back into it. I'd love to see it happen today and make it. The other part of me knows that it will fail if we do that. The Dems need to drum up public support for health care reform. The Dems need supporters at these town halls rallying against the cries from the Fox viewers. If the progressive citizens never stand up and fight for health care then we'll either get a crap solution or no solution at all. The Dems need to light a fire under the masses to make real change happen.

[docron]

07:11 PM on 08/21/2009

justin -- There are already a lot of supporters of progressive proposals at the town halls. This week I went to a town hall, hosted by my Congressman Arcuri, upstate NY. There were about 400 people there. Lots of people disagreed with each other, but it was a stable discussion. Probably half the people there were seniors on Medicaid, concerned about the future of the program. More conservative than the questions asked by younger people. But it was a good back and forth.

Then one guy, a LaRouchite, gets up and starts talking about Nazification and socialism etc etc etc. One guy out of 400. And everyone, both sides, told the guy to shut up. But he was the one that was on the news that night.

We have it covered. The media wants to cover the sensational. But the majority -- 70 percent in one recent poll -- know we need health care reform. The President knows that -- he's guaranteed that he will get it done. He knows he has the support of the people.

[tonkatsu]

05:28 PM on 08/21/2009

Let's see: The guy Leading the Insurance company campaign against reform was CEO of the company that paid the Largest Medicare Fraud penalty EVER.

He now owns a Chain of "Urgent Care" clinics.

Hey, maybe that's why he doesn't believe reform can find any "Savings" in Medicare ...

Is part of the bill an Increase in Fraud Investigations? Just Asking ...

[DocTwain]

02:43 PM on 08/21/2009

The Republicans are plutocrats.

Democrats need to pass the reform that will provide the most and best coverage at the lowest cost, helping our businesses compete in a global market, and building the prosperity of ordinary Americans.

That solution is single payer health insurance.

Let''s start over, as Senator Kyl suggested.
Let's stop talking to Republicans at all.

Let's put single payer back on the table, begin the negotiations at the beginning, and muscle the centrists into real reform.

[vandegrasse]

03:20 AM on 08/23/2009

Throw single payer right back at 'em and watch them weep! That's a good idea. They'll have brought it on them themselves.

[Suzee23]

02:26 PM on 08/21/2009

The GOP does not want any kind of meaningful reform for fear its popularity will ensure Democratic Party dominance for many, many years to come.

Let's face it: If health care reform, with the public option, is ever signed into law, it will be OVERWHELMINGLY popular. And President Obama, as the originator and signer of reform, will most certainly be re-elected. Furthermore, any Democratic lawmaker who can claim even a tenuous connection to crafting the legislation will be hard to beat at the ballot box.

THE GOP FEARS PERMANENT IRRELEVANCE AND LOSS OF POWER. THE GOP FEARS EXTINCTION.

[rxvette]

02:25 PM on 08/21/2009

You can't out number common sense when it comes to healthcare reform. Universal care is essential not only to our healthcare system but our nation's economy as a whole as we move forward.

As a healthcare professional myself I fully support President Obama's plan for a public option along with a few more things that I've outlined here - http://bit.ly/9QLV8

[AAKAlan]

01:22 PM on 08/21/2009

There's only one question in all of this: where is Obama?

His numbers are dropping like a stone, and the idiot pundits are all claiming it's due to the unpopularity of the Health Reform bills among the conservatives and the middle.

Wrong! It's because of the unpopularity of Barack Obama with his own base (who he said yesterday are :"getting a little excited", as though we were out-of-control children".

It's his endless, wishy-washy compromise, his pathetic attempts to bring the Republicans on board that are killing his popularity. America likes a strong leader, and Obama has been anything but.

It's time for him to smell the roses. The Repubs don't want reform and they're rolling him.

Rachel is dead on. But what a shame that a cable news host has to lecture the President of The United States on how to conduct himself.

[docron]

07:18 PM on 08/21/2009

This is what it is like when we have a President who follows the Constitutional process. The Legislature's role is to legislate. It's messy. But it's happening.

This is no longer government by fiat of the Imperial President. Get used to it. We won't be having extra-constitutional concentration camps, wars by presidential order, VP aides in prison for violating the law, illegal wiretaps on American citizens, or legislation that comes from the White House.

The POTUS is a constitutionalist -- first president who is one, perhaps, since Eisenhower. Definitely since Nixon. The POTUS is permitting the process to occur the way it is spelled out in our Constitution. The Legislature legislates.

So the Republicans have, Constitutionally, a chance to perform as legislators. He is giving them that chance, and enough rope. When they do not perform for the American people, the Democrats will get it done. And get the credit from the American people.

[Carpetbagger 68]

01:08 PM on 08/21/2009

If the insurance companies were Domino's, things would be a little different:

- They'd collect your money each month regardless of whether or not you ate any pizza.
- If your neighbor actually orders a pizza, your rates will go up.
- If you call a store other than your local store, they'd require you to pay double.
- If you were lactose intolerant BEFORE you ordered your pizza, they will refuse to make you a pie without cheese; that's a pre-existing condition.
- They don't care if the cook recommends mozzarella. You get american cheese, the generic equivalent.
- Sure mushrooms, feta, and pineapple will cure your hunger. But you can't get that, its still experimental.
- Guaranteed delivery within 30 minutes. Or whenever they feel like it. Or never.
- Order a pizza? Lose your coverage.
- Actually want a good pizza you can afford? Call the Toronto store and order a carry-out.

And lets not forget the rules that the right wingers would impose that the insurance co's would accept willingly:

- No ham, bacon, sausage, clams, or shrimp to avoid offending strict adherents to leviticus.
- Driver carries no more than $20. But at least 20 rounds.
- No combining pies with red and white sauce in the same order.
- Absolutely no pizzas with double pepperoni - that's an abomination. It's in the Bible. Look it up.

[Terriac]

01:03 PM on 08/21/2009

I saw this on her show the other night. It's actually a very astute picture of what is going on in the health care reform battle. And offers and very succinct and perfect solution for the Dems to follow. It was brilliant.

[WillCooney]

12:39 PM on 08/21/2009

Sometimes, you just have to shove it down the throats of those who protest so much. It's like castor oil - tastes awful going down but, the results are so beneficial that you'll be glad you did it!

[SansArc]

12:37 PM on 08/21/2009

What I fear most is that; say Obama and the Dems fail or loses public approval. Come election time will people opt for the repubs again? Will libs and independents sit out? After all of the "party of no" has been doing sense they lost majority, I just can't see how people can elect them anymore. Are people going to have short term memory and forget that everytime the repubs get in office they appear to want to destroy everything in their way? If people lose their remaining faith in the dems will they finally look beyond party lines? What do you guy's think?

[NoSandwiches]

03:07 PM on 08/24/2009

their saying "no" hasn't made anything better, and their uncooperative attitudes can't have helped in the eyes of independents.

[nicole473]

12:32 PM on 08/21/2009

Bawahaha.........she is so good. :)