What is most essential now is creating a "conventional wisdom narrative." Is it going to be that Democrats defied an angry public and rammed this bill through the Congress by manipulating the system -- without a single Republican vote because they were hanging tough? Or is it going to be that Democrats, led by a President who came through like a Commander-in-Chief when the chips were down, can govern after all?
It better be the latter. Because that's something the great American middle will respond to. The next election is on the line and so is 2012 and Democrats need to unite behind that narrative no matter how complex their real feelings -- or they will go down and Obama will be another Carter. Don't relax. Don't think it isn't urgent, it is very urgent. The Republicans are masters of sound-bitable resentment-inducing distortions. They may have lost, but pause for a moment and realize how compelling they made a position that was basically a pack of lies packaged in attitude. And how well they sold it to a public whose interests were directly threatened by it. So there needs to be focused unity around the Democratic narrative starting right now -- and it has to last. Don't let internal qualms and disappointments interfere with that.
Public option gone? Reproductive rights not defended strongly enough? Or too strongly? Big Pharma celebrating -- can that be good?
Forget all that. Just paint the seamless picture, push the seamless story line. When faced with the Republican narrative -- jump right on it. Whiners. Sore losers. Angry and negative. America wants can-do leadership. That's us. We just proved it. That's "us" and not just Obama. It's all Democrats. Even Landrieu and Stupak. Election 2010 is now.
By "conventional wisdom narrative" I mean a default account that gets so entrenched that there's no point in opposing it, even if it isn't strictly accurate. FDR saved the nation from Hoover's depression is an example (forget about WWII boost to the economy). Reagan was the true conservative is another (forget about his tax hikes). That kind of thing.
For once in a blue moon Democrats have a line they can sell that is positive but also, above all, simple. That almost never happens. It's almost always the Republicans who can put their message on a bumper sticker. Now it's the Democrats' turn. Let's not blow it.
Dr. Nalini Chilkov: Let's Be Honest: Health Insurance Reform Is Not Health Care Reform
Yes, the standard stenography that all the right-wing "think tanks" embed in the media that simply plays stenographer.
The GOP overplayed their hand, and whereas progressives for the most part can be disappointed that the bill didn't go far enough and still recognize the progress of breaking the historical inertia all while remaining hopeful that we can continue to improve upon the bill, those who were swayed by the unsubtantiated vitriolic rhetoric of the opposition and the misrepresentation of what is at it's core is a pretty centrist bill will turn on the liars when they realize that it wasn't the sky that would be falling after this bill passed, but rather the bottom falling out of the purely political aspirations of a failed party that has opted to try to covince their constiuencies of a irresopnsibly fearful untruth about socialism, and federal takeovers rather that admit that the democrats they have demonized did precisely as they promised at the dismay of many progressives in creating a moderate reform bill which includes republican ideas even if republican for political reasons didn't vote for it.
I think we should note that this was objected to for political reasons not substanitive merits, as this bill is close to past republican versions of HCR, and includes over 200 GOP amendments, the substance of the bill is bi-partisan.
And without cost-control mechanisms like a rate authority, or drug re-importation, or Medicare direct drug price negotiation, or a public insurance option, or a Medicare buy-in, or a central provider reimbursement negotiator (all-payer system) we can only expect costs to go up.
Amazing deal for Republicans. They got everything they want. And their hands are clean. The only disappointment to them is that the Democrats got most of the lobbyist cash this time.
So the corporate Democrats got their mandates without a government alternative. Let them run with that. I fought for them, and I fought against that policy. Now I'm done. They don't want to represent me, I don't need to support them.
My biggest gripe is about the armchair criticism from progressives who, despite our asking, will do nothing but complain. Sorry if your ideological purity has been ignored, but learn from US history and understand what got DONE. We have long needed a leader who is a statesman AND a good political operative. We have that. Support him, and we can move along on other reforms we all want. Back off and whine - maybe you'll help bring reform to a crawl.
Your armchair is NOT good enough. Carping and whining are not good enough. We elected him, and OUR job is not yet done. Democracy is freaking messy and demands our constant involvement, cooperation with others even if we're NOT all ideologically pure, and no, you cannot opt out without handing the power back to those who really, truly hate you.
Don't whine. Organize!