The Guns of August: How the Republican Right Fired on Health Care

What we learned in August is something we've long known but keep forgetting: The most important difference between America's Democratic left and Republican right is that the left has ideas and the right has discipline. Obama and progressive supporters of health care were outmaneuvered in August -- not because the right had any better idea for solving the health care mess but because the right's attack on the Democrats' idea was far more disciplined than was the Democrats' ability to sell it.

I say the Democrats' "idea" but in fact there was no single idea. Obama never sent any detailed plan to Congress. Meanwhile, congressional Democrats were so creative and undisciplined before the August recess that they came up with a kaleidoscope of health care plans. The resulting incoherence served as an open invitation to the Republican right to focus with great precision on convincing the public of their own demonic version of what the Democrats were up to -- that it would take away their Medicare, require "death panels," raise their taxes, and lead to a government takeover of medicine, and so on. The Obama White House -- a veritable idea factory brimming with ingenuity -- thereafter proved unable to come up with a single, convincing narrative to counteract this right-wing hokum. Whatever discipline Obama had mustered during the campaign somehow disappeared.

This is just the latest chapter of a long saga. Over the last twenty years, as progressives have gushed new ideas, the right has became ever more organized and mobilized in resistance -- capable of executing increasingly consistent and focused attacks, moving in ever more perfect lockstep, imposing an exact discipline often extending even to the phrases and words used repeatedly by Hate Radio, Fox News, and the oped pages of The Wall Street Journal ("death tax," "weapons of mass destruction," "government takeover of health care.") I saw it in 1993 and 1994 as the Clinton healthcare plan -- as creatively and wildly convuluted as any policy proposal before or since -- was defeated both by a Democratic majority in congress incapable of coming together around any single bill and a Republican right dedicated to Clinton's destruction. Newt Gingrich's subsequent "contract with America" recaptured Congress for the Republicans not because it contained a single new idea but because Republicans unflinchingly rallied around it while Democrats flailed.

You want to know why the left has ideas and the right has discipline? Because people who like ideas and dislike authority tend to identify with the Democratic left, while people who feel threatened by new ideas and more comfortable in a disciplined and ordered world tend to identify with the Republican right. Democrats and progressives let a thousand flowers bloom. Republicans and the right issue directives. This has been the yin and yang of American politics and culture. But it means that the Democratic left's new ideas often fall victim to its own notorious lack of organization and to the right's highly-organized fear mongering.

I suppose I'm as guilty as anyone. A few weeks ago I casually mentioned in a web conversation on Politico's web page that if supporters of universal health care and a "public option" felt their voices were not being heard in our nation's capital they should march on Washington. A few moments later, when someone wrote in asking when, I glanced at a calendar and in a burst of unreflective enthusiasm offered September 13. I didn't check with anyone, didn't strategize with progressive groups that have been working on health care for years, barely checked in with myself.

I was deluged with emails. Many people said they were planning to march. Someone put up a web page, another a Facebook page, a member of Congress announced his support. But most people said they couldn't manage September 13. It was too soon. It conflicted with other events. It followed too closely behind a right-wing march against health care reform already scheduled for September 12. It was a day AFL leaders were out of town, so couldn't lend their support. Many who emailed me wanted another day -- September 20, or the 27th, or early October. Others said they'd rather march on their state capital, in order that local media cover it. When I finally checked in with the heads of several progressive groups and unions in Washington -- all with big mailing lists and the resources to organize a big march -- they said they were already planning a march, for October. But they still haven't given me a date. (I will pass it on as soon as I hear.)

August is coming to a close, and congressional recess is about over. History is not destiny, and Democrats and progressives can yet enact meaningful health care reform -- with a public option. But to do so, we'll need to be far more disciplined about it. All of us, from Obama on down.

Cross-posted from Robert Reich's Blog.

Comments

[abeautifultruth]

"the left has ideas and the right has discipline­."

Sheesh -- talk about damning with faint praise. The left is smart enough to know how things should be run, if they could only get the power, and the right has the ability to Nazi-goosestep along en masse with whatever brainless notion might come into their heads. Nice one, RR.

"Obama and progressive supporters of health care were outmaneuvered in August -- not because the right had any better idea for solving the health care mess"

You're right, there. neither the left NOR the right are advocating the REAL cure for the health-care problem, which is to get the government OUT, and that means out of Medicare, too. But that's going to be a long hard slog because power-mongers on BOTH sides are too afraid to turn over the market to freedom.

" but because the right's attack on the Democrats' idea was far more disciplined than was the Democrats' ability to sell it."

Oh, please. Still playing that old tune?? You're so organize-the-masses oriented you apparently can't conceive that a few thousand individuals can come to the same conclusion independently and then protest together..­.unlike the SEUI employees who WERE bused in to support Obama/KennedyCare.

[kurtvb]

How could we have avoided this mess. Well, how about having a full time party chairman, one that is dedicated like Howard Dean was. Dr. Dean beat that drum all summer long, yet where were the progressives at these town halls. Did you go? We have so many groups that are part of our tent, we need a full time coordinator to see to it that the right does not out maneuver us over issues. They don't even have a plan yet they can get people to believe anything.

Reich, Dean, Baker, you guys have the connections and the power to get this thing organized, and mobilize the left. Let's Go!

[conlawprize]

problem is that all the left's ideas are bullocks. they sure do have many crazy schemes though.

give me enough of other people's money and i would draw up some grand plans too

[abeautifultruth]

All the left's ideas are large, ox-like creatures?? Interesting proposal. Or perhaps you meant that they are BOLLOCKS, British slang for either nonsense or testicles.

[Koreanovice]

I think the repubs don't want ANY success for Obama admin b/c it would kill there chances of regaining majorities for years to come!

[Harley Spoon]

FOR THE GREEDY AND MEAN RELIGIOUS RIGHT, REQAD THE FOLLOWING:

MATTHEW 25:31-46.

[Guitanguran]

Gosh, we don't want to introduce God into this discusssion, do we?

I mean, then we'd be talking about sin and Jesus. That type of stuff just doesn't belong here, does it?

You know, we'd have to stop paying the government to continue bungling how they're taking care of the least of us and do it ourselves.­..

...like the Bible says.

Oh man, lets not go there!

[andygei]

Guitanguran,

We can do nothing but gain by introducing God into this discussion. Afterall, remember, Jesus was a liberal. How do i know this? His most recurring theme is for us All to love one another, unconditionally. I challenge you to find a more progressive message.

The covenental God of the radical right (as well as radical muslims) is a perversion and a lie. It's an institution, used to enslave hearts and minds and fan the flames of hatred. It is the saddest, most profound hypocricy of our time and a source of great heartache to truely spiritual souls.

[Findley]

Hey RR........­.....I always watch when you're on. How about contacting a pal at the WH re: the woman in a wheelchair shouted down at Rep. Pallone's NJ townhall. How about putting her in Obama's audience before both houses of Congress..­..and letting her ask her question. Political theater for the independents who seldom pay attention until it's right in their faces.

[globalcitizenlinda]

Let us admit it, we progressives were missing in action and under-estimated the rabid hatred of republicans. Instead we prefered to sit on our blogs and almost exclusively attack President Obama (and the compromises he made in order to move the process foward) rather than get out there and engage the lying right wingers. One would think that President Obama was never on our team!!

Democrats also left too much power in the hands of the conservative members of the party although they in fact comprise only the smallest proportion of the voting block.

Activists and people who care about reform are now working from a place of defense so we need to take the initiatives and conduct a vigorous defense of the isses we care about.

How many of us were out there in the town halls and/or writing to our representatives and to the White House?????

[Koreanovice]

I don't think we progressives were missing in action, I think the repubs have alot more media outlets than dems.

[jgabree]

This lets the White House and the House leadership off the hook. There was a simple message that would have been easy to pitch and hard to argue against: "Medicare for all." Shame on them for putting the welfare of the insurance industry ahead of the welfare of the people.

[affidavit]

The sad fact is that it is always easier to destroy than to create. The Republicans have absolutely zero interest in creating any kind of health car reform ("damn the country and itsfuture") and thus have taken the very comfortable position of simply setting out to destroy any idea that might come their way. The only counter to that is to create something so solid and tight that completely bulldozes them. Failing to do come up with a simple, strong reform message ("Medicare for all") and position has been Obama's biggest failure. I believe there is still time to rectify.

[andygei]

Prof. Reich,

As always you are a great voice of reason. I was reading your article thinking, "The Repubs are more organized because they are the party of the Corporatocracy, which is by nature organized and top down driven." But you distilled it down even further, and i think you are right.

I think (hope - pray) the saving grace of the Peoples' Party is the new social media which may allow us to organize better and faster and more coherently than ever before. It's helping to link the many disjointed progressive voices into one amplified concert that can speak as one, as well as diffuse the right's endless assault of sophistry before it has a chance to take root in moderates' thought processes. This blog is proof of that. (i used to have to wait long stretches to catch one of your segments on NPR - now i read you much more often). There may be hope for the rebel alliance yet.

Best,

[freddiefreeloader]

I don't call it disipline I call it arrogance, having or displaying a sense of overbearing self-worth or self-importance marked by or arising from a feeling or assumption of one's superiority towards others, an arrogant contempt for the weak. Republican's are full of it, They justify their actions by creating scapegoats, liberals, socalists, homosexuals, race, terrorists, ect. Now its healthcare, they have theirs and don't care about anyone else, their the important one.

[rssrai]

The democrats will not pass a bill without a strong public option. It ain't going to happen. It will be done one way or the other. Democrats know that if they don't they can kiss 2010 good-bye and maybe even 2012. We middle agers will be the elders in 9 years or less, so I hope the democrats think about that since we are the onces that support democrats the most, and we all want a health care reform bill with a robust public option which is central to any piece of health care legislation no matter what anyone else says. Senator Kennedy would not compromise on that.

[James Pharo]

I think the President understands something that Professor Reich and many others do not: victory goes to the side that understands the power of the counter-attack.

The right has had months to mount their opposition, and have come up with things that we can all accept (like "no death panels"), or things that make no sense ("we don't need health care reform).

When Obama returns to the offensive, he will be able attack a fixed target. I predict he will prevail, and all those who wondered why he "let the narrative get away from him" will have to concede that in the end, we got meaningful health care reform.

[Koreanovice]

I agree JP,

I also think that the mixture of repubs and dems (blue dogs) in his admin and the senate are reking his agenda.

[plumnelly]

Qestioning their own party would lead to a nervous breakdown, just look at Governor Sanford and talk show host, Glen Beck. Sara Palin and the Bachhman woman are representative of psychotic breakdowns played out in public. Republicans are very fearful people, why else the love affair with guns to the detriment of society. By the way ,my father was a hunter, didn't need to grandstand with his guns and make stupid statements regarding gun rights.

As far as control, the republicans lose control just by the mere mention that we should have healthcare for all American citizens, even, if they lose their jobs. It's all about THEM and no one else. It's the Paris Hilton party, me,me me.

[SgtLucifer]

"The most important difference between America's Democratic left and Republican right is that the left has ideas and the right has discipline­."

Mr. Reich,... you failed to qualify the word "discipline". The Republican right-wing nuts have disciplined and ignorant kooks well financed by the United States of Corporations (or is it the "United Corporations of America"?)

[missouriwatcher]

While in power, the Republicans failed to show ANY fiscal discipline whatsoever.