Dems to Air Sad Health Care Stories to Push Obama Plan

First published at WashingtonTimes.com

Organizing for America, President Obama's campaign arm housed at the DNC, is raising money to start television ads starring some of the hundreds of thousands of people who submitted their own personal health care stories.

"These personal messages will make a powerful case for why we need comprehensive health care reform, and need it now," OFA writes to Web donors who contribute to the effort.

"With help from OFA supporters like you, we should be able to get the first of these messages produced and in front of voters in key areas within a matter days," OFA says.

The effort doesn't specify which voters are defined as from "key areas" -- perhaps those living in states with senators who don't support Obama's call for a public option to be included in the health care reform bill working its way through Congress.

Last week, MoveOn.org announced it would be targeting Sen. Kay Hagan, a freshman red-state Democrat who said she wouldn't support a public option.

MoveOn said the ads would run in her home state of North Carolina and also in D.C., noting that many of her volunteers and donors from the 2008 campaign want a public option included in the plan.

The OFA solicitation was sent to the 13-million strong Obama campaign list as well as to Democrats on the DNC email list.

"The stories have been read millions of times, and the reaction is an overwhelming, 'Wow -- we've got to get to work,'" Mitch Stewart, executive director of OFA, tells supporters in the email, which directs donors to a spiffy new logo.

"Here's our latest idea: Putting our supporters in coast-to-coast television and online ads, telling their own stories, in their own voice. It could be a breakthrough moment in this debate, when millions of Americans realize how urgent reform really is," Stewart wrote, adding the air time "won't be cheap" and asking for donations.

Stewart also points out the Clinton effort failed in part thanks to the fake "real people" named Harry and Louise who ran ads during the debate over the health care bill.

"Phony stories helped defeat health care reform in the past. But this time, real stories could be the reason we win," he wrote.

Earlier this month I looked at this strategy, noting in a story in our Plugged in Politics section that personal stories didn't help the Clinton effort.

Their stories of health care heartbreak were so gut-wrenching and compelling, so the theory went, surely policy would change.

The year was 1993, and instead of leading to a sweeping overhaul of the health care system that the young new Democratic president had promised, those stories are now artifacts in an ex-president's library, a testament to a monumental, failed effort.

As another Democratic president tackles the issue, President Obama's team is going after those same stories of tears, loss and a health care system gone wrong that President Bill Clinton and his aides once employed. 

Read the full story here.

There's no way of knowing yet if these real stories will make the difference this time around, or if having a 60th Democratic senator could make the Obama health care plan a reality.

But the White House thinks it's a winning strategy since it is, after all, one Obama used successfully during the election.

Obama holds a health care town hall tomorrow in Northern Virginia, and I'll bet the president will be telling more of those personal stories.

— Christina Bellantoni, White House correspondent, 
The Washington Times

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Comments

[freelyb]

I think it's worth a shot. At the same time, we are trying to convince pretty unreachable people about the sanctity of life. Will we change the minds of those who advocated the murder of countless Iraqi civilians? The same minds that sent over 5,000 of our own off to die in the process? The political minds that are shaped by corporate will to power and profit at all costs? Let us hope that there is indeed a God.

[TomZart]

THEY SERVE TO PRESERVE


They serve to preserve our forefathers dreams,
Prayers, visions and determination.
Risking all in pursuit of fulfillment of duty
To God, freedom, faith, honor and nation.

Despite dismemberment, death and loneliness
Patriots enlist to safeguard our flag.
With honor, faith, purpose and courage
They battle the sadistic that brag.

Throughout man’s past as a creature of earth
War has always plagued his expectance.
Greed, hate, fear, envy and rage
Have overruled rapture and repentance.

David was a soldier who lived by his faith
Which gave him the will to become brave.
He stood up to terror and toppled the giant
Leaving Goliath headless and alone in his grave.

David’s call thrives in hearts of soldiers today
Shielding liberty from the warmongers of hell.
Facing down evil refusing to summit
Ensuring freedom and justice are alive and well.

Those of us blessed by the safety of home
Must remember the sacrifice of the few.
Run up your flag and show your support
For the heroes of the red, white and blue.


By Conservative Poet
Tom Zart
Most Published Poet
On The Web

[TomZart]

WHERE ARE THE SOLDIERS


Where are the soldiers who march in line?
Where are the soldiers every color and kind?
Where are the soldiers who made their moms cry?
Where are the pilots who face death in the sky?

Where are the soldiers born brave of heart?
Where are the girls and boys that part?
Serving our country with their future on the line
Battling the enemies of freedom of mind.

All of us are soldiers with missions of our own
We do what we do as history is sown.
Support our troops who we love and adore
Support our troops with prayers, letters and more.

Where are the soldiers so far, far away?
How many will perish no one can say.
Where are the soldiers we love night and day?
Deployed world over to keep evil at bay.





By Conservative Poet
Tom Zart
Most Published Poet
On The Web