Aside from the issue of whether the congressional "town hall" has outlived its usefulness as a way for politicians and the public to interact, there's an important underlying question in those confrontations over health care reform now playing out. Do they represent an incipient 1994- or 1980-style backlash against Obama?
To most of us on the outside, the town-halls-gone-wild appear to reflect the intense feelings of a relatively small group of people who are very badly misinformed about what's actually happening in Washington. They're angry at Obama for all kinds of things the government isn't doing and has no plans to do. In the broadest sense, some of their suspicions are legitimate -- if government does have more power over health care, it will screw it up somehow. But the health care system is very badly screwed up already, and there appears to be no awareness of that fact in those rude, angry outbursts.
But is this the start of a good, old-fashioned right-wing populist prairie fire? The Atlantic's Marc Ambinder argued yesterday that, strictly in terms of the health care issue, the protestors and their organizers have overplayed their hand -- that they are alienating the independents who want a real political debate, not a shouting match, i.e., the voters who matter most to centrist Democrats who will make or break any health care bill.
Patrick Ruffini shot back, saying Ambinder is misreading things. His post, titled "Energy at the edges moves the center," cites the left's at-times over-the-top Iraq protests, ca. 2003 and 2004, as an example of something that seemed politically marginal at the time, with polls showing broad support for the war effort, but later became the majority view.
Nobody knows what's going to happen in politics. And there are signs of serious discontent with Democrats in the New Jersey and Virginia governor's races. But the circumstances here seem very different from 1980, 1994 - or 2003, for that matter. Ruffini's argument likens health care reform to Iraq. But it took several years of disastrous mismanagement and dysfunctional leadership from the White House to turn the public against the war -- and George W. Bush.
Obama has been in office six months. Assuming some kind of health care reform passes, it's unlikely to turn into an Iraq-like disaster. Most people will be only marginally affected, if at all. Many people will see their situations improve. There will be problems, no doubt. But "death panels" won't be killing grannies every day like IEDs were in Baghdad ca. 2006. And remember, unlike his predecessor Obama actually seems to know some things about making government institutions work. If some kind of health care reform doesn't pass (which I think is unlikely given the stakes), it will damage Obama. But it will also be over quickly.
In 1980, there was broad anger at, and structural problems within, the government and the Democratic Party. In the 1990s, those problems lingered: Bill Clinton was never elected with more than 50 percent of the vote. Obama won with 53 percent of the vote. Some of those Obama voters are no doubt disillusioned with what they've seen so far. But "government" is always a proxy for other things -- in this case, widespread economic distress, wrenching social change, etc. The town hall craziness is channeling some of that -- it is unfocused rage coming from a narrow segment of the population. But the circumstances in which we find ourselves are fluid: if the economy improves and health care reform passes, and America doesn't turn into Nazi Germany, that anger is unlikely to result in a huge anti-Obama backlash. In part because there just aren't any good alternatives right now.
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He is committed to his beliefs and sincere about the need for reform.
I can't say why he has come up against such a powerful backlash exactly. Probably the answer is that Americans are just too ignorant and special interests too strong.
He is conciliatory by nature, but I don't think this is his fault or that he has made too many compromises. When he has he has tried to reverse that tendency and he does it with force.
He is just up against too much.
Americans supported the Iraq and Vietnam War and all its costs, but are afraid of the costs of improving a system which will just continue to waste their dollars at an increasing rate.
Citizens of other countries with superior and much cheaper healthcare systems are just more aware of what is good for them.
"JESUS, DO YOU THINK THE RICHEST COUNTRY IN THE WORLD SHOULD FIND A WAY TO PROVIDE HEALTH CARE TO EVERYONE, OR SHOULD IT JUST REMAIN THAT SOME PEOPLE HAVE TO SUFFER WITHOUT, LIKE WOUNDED ANIMALS IN THE WOODS?"
You like caps?
Of course, the misinformation is being created and spread by the vested interests and their minions. Schlock radio, with its demagogic approach to confusing the issue, is being supported by big insurance. Soon-to-be-looking for-government-grants-for-retraining employees (paid bullies) of big insurance are regurgitating insurance company propaganda in loud voices at town meetings. Clueless ignorance-blinded followers of schlock radio jocks wobble along, giving their lame support, having deluded themselves into believing they are some kind of "patriots."
We must realize the irrationality and misinformation, consider its selfish, irrational sources, and get on with the noble task of health care reform.
Greg S.
Huffington Post writers see themselves as on the "outside?"
Small group of people?
The fact is, the POLLS SHOW...the MAJORITY of Americans don't want
1. Obamacare
2. Cap and Trade
I rest my case.
Here's how:
Show up at a town meeting wearing a T shirt embossed with the words,
SAY NO TO SOCIALISM - ABOLISH MEDICARE
When irate seniors approach you, tell them that you're a loyal American on board with the program.
Tell them that Sean, Rush, Michael Savage and Bill O'Reilly sent you.
Tell them that you can't support socialism in any form.
And finally tell them, "Together, we can send this message to Obama."
Let's see who gets in line.
How about all those posters that made Bush look like Hitler?
How about MoveO n.Org's ad foir "General Betray Us"?
You just can't stand soemone standing up agaisnt big government, can you?
Double Plus Good.
I watched a clip of one woman who shouted out a ridiculous question but was given the courtesy of a thoughtful answer. When interviewed and asked what she thought of the answer, she replied that she really wasn't paying attention. This, in a nutshell, is the problem.
Very true...and the people who are bashing Obama now and who hate him now, will hate him in 12 months and 24 months, no matter how well he does.
The entire point of trying to defeat everything he does is this: if what he wants passes and is successful, they will be less able to proclaim that his is "destroying America". If it doesn't pass, they can go on AND proclaim that they helped save us from him and his destructive policies.
1.) no change
2.) reform of health insurance
3.) reform PLUS a public health care option
4.) single payer (like medicare)
The audiences in all MY town meetings voted for option 3. Seeing that these town halls were held in a very predominantly Republican area, the vote in itself was significant.
However the only report given by the attending media was about the shouters, who, incidentally did not present a single "fact" that was correct.
This is how the media steers public opinion.
I see this in my own offspring, and for the time, effort, swear, tears, and money I spent on them, I'm shocked; although, I have to admit that the one with the lowest IQ, who reads trash novels, is also the same one screaming that the POTUS "is another HITLER!" I am fed up with this thinking, regardless of who thinks it - or doesn't think as the case seems to be.
The media is designed to pander to the lowest common denominator, for their 'hits,' via the Satellite boxes and cable paid for by those who often cannot afford food. The only news worth listening to is BBC or PBS/NPR. The rest scream at us - as the daytime show 'starz' do, too.
It's time the POTUS stopped pandering. The administration is making every effort to save peoples lives, health and preventive care, for all so let's just do it, and stop trying to please "the kids." Every parent recognizes that action. Kids don't understand "adult things," that does not mean we should not care for, and protect them.
How can we have confidence in a government that ruined Social Security and everything it has taken control of? President Obama made our argument when he said in New Hampshire that " FedEx and UPS are doing just fine. It's the post office having problems."
The "Cash for Clinkers" deal is going to have more losers than winners. The poor can't afford to use the program, used cars that they usually buy will be more expensive because the gov is crushing the cars traded in, and parts for older cars will be harder to find and more expensive.
The sub prime mess has hurt lower income families more than it has hurt anyon else.
The stimulus pkg hasn't created permanent jobs. Only 1/10 has been spent. Why won't Geithner give back the TARP monies that have been repaid?
There is much more for us to protest against but mostly we are the naive ones who love our country the way it was founded and when we see a concentrated effort to change it into something it was never intended to be we react.
No child whose parents can communicate their need is murdered by lack of medical care in this country. We are a very generous nation.
But my point is still relevant. The government has never run anything more effciently than the private sector.
Let's try tort reform first. This would bring the cost of health insurance down. And cheaper health insurance is what we really need.
Then the ones who have an option to buy insurance through their work ,but opt out because of cost, would be able to afford it. We have Medicaid for the people who simply can't afford insurance at any cost.
There is a hospital near me that will not turn anyone away. I know there are more like them all over the US. They work out a way for the patient to repay them no matter how long it takes.
Government interference is not the answer.
This is just a partial list of things that have set off the so called "Tea Party Mob". Yes, the left has finally got the right fired up...and they ain't going away.
These people are not taking a stance against the Left. If there still was a real Left in America, these people would be in it. They're taking a stance against being ignored by BOTH parties, as Quitcherbichin explains above.