How Obama Can Pass Health Care, or F--k Disneyland

I grew up with a generous and loving father who had a temper from hell. It is not surprising that I bridle my own temper and use it sparingly noting the havoc that my father's temper caused in our family. Like Obama I am a man who prefers to reason with people rather than shout at them, but I have learned over a long lifetime that there is a power to an angry shout that can move mountains. Walk and talk softly and carry a big stick only works if you actually mean to use the stick as a weapon. I have also learned that the use of anger by an otherwise reasonable man can bring down kingdoms -- in my case a magic kingdom -- and in Obama's case it might even bring in health care. Here's a true and timeworn tale from the Yellen family album to illustrate my point.

In the nineteen-seventies my small family, then consisting of my very young son Nick, and my very lovely wife (she who demands to remain nameless) went on a visit to Disneyland. It was a wonderful day. My son delighted in all the rides with the possible exception of the Pirates of the Caribbean which elicited gasps of terror from him as murder and rapine and shouts of "shiver me timbers" hovered overhead, with skeletons popping out like jack-in-the boxes in the darkness. Since I haven't been back to Disneyland in decades I only have my long ago recollection of how it worked. If I recall correctly, at that time you bought a book of script at the gate -- paper tickets -- and used these for the various rides. The lines were not so long in those days, and the prices much lower, but it was still Disneyland with the big headed Mickey and lovely Snow White there to meet and greet. After buying this ticket book no money was supposed to change hands, except in the various concessions where one bought food and souvenirs.

After spending a long and glorious afternoon in Disney's audio-animatronic wonderland, dusk appeared as we took our last ride. That ride had something to do with a mining railroad up a faux mountainside that required passing under a real man made waterfall. We were all exhausted from an overdose of happy family, with far too many Kodak moments, cheeks strained from our smiles, when the particular vehicle containing the three Yellens stalled under the waterfall, drenching all of us, and terrifying my child, and it was easily five very long minutes before the ride started up again and we were released from our forced shower and made it back to terra firma.

Departing the ride, drenched and irritated, I went over to a smiling Disney rep and asked for the money back for the ride, explaining that our soaked appearance did not come from a plunge we had taken on a Jungle-land cruise but from the malfunction of the ride from which we had just departed. The rep offered his apologies for the miscreant waterfall and offered us three tickets to use to take the ride again, or use on any other ride of our choice. I replied that we did not want to take another ride - we had done Disneyland - all we wanted now was to get back to our hotel and change our drenched clothes. The thought of riding under that waterfall again was as welcome as a leap over the Victoria Falls.

I asked for my money back. He refused, explaining, as if to a very dim child, that it was not the policy of the Disney people to return money - that all cash had been banished at the gate. And then I felt the spirit of my father take over. Hearing that the system could not accommodate me and return my cash, I heard that voice rise within me shouting, "Then f------k Disneyland and its f---king system." Those glorious Anglo-Saxon expletives resounding through the spotless streets of Disneyland proved to be the keys to the magic kingdom. Suddenly, as if by magic, a human appeared bearing cash the value of the tickets and thrust it into my hands. Amazing how my flash of genuine anger had driven a hole in the wall of that system.

Now I am not recommending that Obama shout "F---k the Republican obstructionists who are standing between Americans and decent health care." He can choose his own words. But what he must do is show that fire, that anger, that shows he is prepared to face down the system of obstruction that I faced that day forty years ago in Disneyland. There is a time in every life when accommodation becomes capitulation. Now my sons are grown men with families of their own, fighting their own battles with life. The lack of a decent single-payer health care system such as I enjoy in Medicare makes that battle all the harder for them and their contemporaries. If Obama lacks the passion to win this battle, then they are all stuck under that waterfall in Disneyland.

 

 

Comments

[toggan]

"There is a time in every life when accommodation becomes capitulati­on."

Obama must stop surrendering his power to the Republicans and Blue Dogs/Conservadems. He is stronger when he has the approval from his base. He should hang out more with the Progressive Democrats in Congress like Antony Weiner (D-NY).

[SethBLiNK]

Seems to me that in exchange for drenching your family, they owed you a refund not just for whatever small pittance the rid cost, but for your whole day.

Perhaps had you not been blinded by your anger, you might have reached that same conclusion and in a reasonable tone of voice gotten your due.

Of course what do I know. I wasn't there. My point is, an outburst that produced a modest refund just doesn't seem that analogous to what the President is trying to achieve right now. He's got 3 1/2 more years (hopefully 7 1/2 more years) to serve and if he has one chance to use the OMG did he just lose it card, this might be a little early in the game to spend it.

[FunkyP]

"There is a time in every life when accommodation becomes capitulati­on."
Democrats are stuck in capitulation mode; even when they have the majority they cower in fear of the big bad republicans. For recent proof examine any issue of the last ten years.

[Sherman Yellen]

One of the reasons for this is that the Democrats are always trying to disprove a negative rather than taking the lead in a positive fashion - so that they would end up defending themselves against the "soft on" litany of the Repubs. For decades it was soft on communism, then soft on immigration, then soft on terrorism, soft on crime, you name it and we were accused of being soft on it - when the reality has been that whatever progress has been made towards world peace and a more equitable society has come from the Democratsts. It's time to come back with some reality - that the Republicans are soft on greed - soft on big Insurance - soft on big agriculture - soft on big lobbyists, and very soft on giving the average American a fair share in this society. .

[Ohioan730]

Americans. We can only be pushed so far even when we're at the happiest place on earth. :-D Very funny story. Great writing. I was there with you. Hilarious.

I can't pull that. I'm ethnic-looking. People walk away from me and call security.

Its time for our leaders in the Senate and Congress to get brutally honest with the Greedy Obstructionist Party and look them in their faces and tell them they are bigots, they make absolutely no sense, they are liars, they are all corporate loyalists and care nothing about the people who elected them and most importantly they are sore losers and its their fault they lost to a black man, not Barack Obama's. If they hadn't been so shady and unconstitutional the last 8 years, maybe America wouldn't have taken a chance on the Democrats.

Our leaders should be the vocal ones with the opinions, not the MSM. They are supposed to report facts, not be paid to distort facts and conspire to hide the truth from the public. Our universe is upside down and we've all learned to live with it.

[Angiefranci]

I like the Disneyland analogy, and agree, a very determined and even really pissed off push wouldn't hurt us right now. I've been saying for months that we Democrats need to be a little mean, and not just act like patient push-overs. The GOP had their eight years where they made us the scapegoats. Let's not just sit back and take it. It's time for the Democrats to stand up and fight and fight hard, and stop acting like a pack of gentile and superior wimps. Luckily, I think Barack, and especially Michelle, has what it takes. Strong back bones. Can't wait to see his final sprint to the finish line.

[toggan]

He should play catch-up with his core constituency in passion and spirit over Health Care Reform.

[Dosadi]

If a judge had taken money from a person, the judge would have to recuse himself from hearing a case involving that person. The same must hold true for Congress. It's time we citizens demand that no senator or representative can write legislation concerning any entity from which they have accepted funds. This should apply to any lobyists representing other interests. This is the only way to clean up this mess.

[canuck4barack]

I'm afraid that just makes too much sense!

[propitiousmoment]

Yelling only works if you never use it, so that one time you do, it freaks everybody out and they fall into line. I have been wishing Obama would get mean already, and ram something through. Then he can return to being reasonable and the obstructionists will think twice before they return their obstructionist ways.

[kathy001]

Frankly, I think that Obama's demeanor and tone drives the GOPers nuts - and I like it. It seems nothing incites rage in them like calm and reason.

[cheeriogirl]

I've noticed that too, and agree with you. I think he is playing them, to divided them into their polar opposite corners. I love watching this true political theater.

[Wendy Johnson]

From your mouth to god's ears.

...But I'm not holding my breath.

[TheIndependenceParty]

There are no opposite corners in the Republican Party, ... One big circular tent, like an Evangelical Meeting in the summertime. Just ask Senator Kyl, ... "... No Republicans will vote for Healthcare Reform". Even Olympia Snowe says "No".

As I see it, it is simpler to dump the Republicans from the discussions altogether, ... Then we only have the Mad Dog Democrats to get under control.

[Mark Mack]

There is a difference between being vulgar, and having passion. Right now the only people that need passion are constituents who should push their elected leaders - in the House - to pass meaningful Health Care. Those that think that a visably passionate President of the USA gets things done, suffer from a bad memory. As they say, nothing is more responsible for those good old days - than a bad memory. This is a Political Match - and what Obama needs to do is come out strong in the end and not peak too soon. This is what he appears to be doing.

One other thing, a Federal Republic - which we are - requires that the central government exercise thier specified power and enforce constituents wishes. Congress needs to start acting like a larger force here and Democratic legislators need to draw from the authority of their constituents.

[BocaMom]

We should compromise to get the Public Option. Let's give them tort reform and let's get the Public Option. It will be a win win for everybody, but the blood sucking lawyers!

[propitiousmoment]

I will refrain from using expletives to describe the ignorance behind your comment. The reason we make it possible for individual citizens to sue and be recompensed for their losses when they are injured by the negligence of medical providers, is because there is no government entity charged with monitoring and regulating their activities. That would be "too intrusive", "big government", name it what you will, but there is nothing standing between you and your doctor's bad faith but the very real threat of a lawsuit if he or she screws up. Most people never do get around to suing for something like that as it is, and the system is designed and run so that truly frivolous cases never make it into court. The tort system works. Leave it alone.

[Dynamohum]

I agree and would like to add that if anybody was injured to or otherwise permanently disabled, paralyzed, blind, deaf, missing organs, etc the cost of continued care for the rest of those lives is unbelievably high and if they break it, they buy it. Most serious life altering hospital/doctor mistakes usually cost the patient into the millions in a lifetime. The reality is that most end up living in some degree of degradation and squalor. So yes, people wronged so heinously deserve a lifetime worth of care financially.

[dynwit]

Fanned. It is entirely obvious why the Repubs have been trying for years to reign in the lawyers---because lawyers are now the last biggest restraint on corporate interests in theis new Wild West of the free market system.

[TheIndependenceParty]

Sorry BM, ... but that is all wrong. Where tort reform has been enacted, there are noproven savings, ... and people die just as often at the hands of incompetents.

Safety in medical care is another matter for another day, ... and full tort should stay in place until healthcare providers get it right.

[noneIn2008]

The health care bill needs to cover everyone, including undocumented workers. A sick person in the USA is a sick person. Would you deny them care because of where they were born or the status of their documentation? Would you let them suffer due to documents? Would you let them die simply because of their country of origin?

[legalclubs]

Keep in mind hospitals already treat everybody who walks in the door, even illegal aliens, and as almost all illegal aliens don't have healthcare now hospitals generally get stuck with the bill and to offset this costs raise their rates for everybody else -- this is actually one of the reasons why healthcare is so expensive. However, there really no disagreement that if people are going to die that they get covered.

Should they be entitled to non-life threatening assistance is another point entirely. For example, chiropractic care would be available through a government plan - a plan subsidized by the U.S. taxpayers -- so as to relieve persistent back pain. These types of services should probably be denied to people who are in the country illegally in order to keep the costs of the program down.

[Wendy Johnson]

Hospitals treat everybody who walks through the door? Are you kidding me? Maybe in Beaver Cleaver's day, that sure isn't how it works today.

Here, this is from Business Week, that should be conservative enough for you:
http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/08_48/b4110080413532.htm

[SeaBlood]

I've heard talk that, if "Obama Care" doesn't pass, his presidency will have failed because that is what he had campaigned for. This is just GOP'ers planting false memories in our minds. Obama did NOT merely run on a health care reform ticket. He campaigned as the candidate who would clean up the disgusting mess that W left us. Seven and a half months in, he's done a remarkably good job, with or without "Obama Care" So take that, you mendacious republicans!

[TheIndependenceParty]

Four years is a long time, so I am not certain Obama will have failed altogether without healthcare reform. But a little fire would be nice, ... since he himself has said it is his Administration's most important initiative. If he is not passionate about this, ... then what moves him?

[gemcando06]

If Obama could pound desks with his shoe, throw something into the audience, and rave on, CNN and FOX would repeat the rant at least 24 hours, until the opposition finally said, "who is that man?"
I do believe he makes the opposition wack-o with his crisp, fluent language, and gentleman posture. As proof, consider the wack-o things said about health care.

[dynwit]

Yes, let us not forget what happened to Howard Dean when he showed a little "passion."

[seatea1967]

Anyone remember the right-wing pundits when Clinton defended himself against Chris Wallace's charge that he let Osama go by raising his voice just a LITTLE? They had a field day with "Clinton unhinged", "Naked anger", "furious", "veins popping", etc.

[FearlessFreep]

Too bad Howard Dean isn't president!

[Mark Mack]

Howard Dean appears to have a very Canadian attitude towards American Politics. Unfortunately, this hurts him. I think at times he demonstrates his naïveté and superior attitude.

[Dynamohum]

Oh that's rich....na­ivete and superiority complex? You are really off base there skippy.