Tuesday, July 28, 2009 - Posts
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Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Here's a safe political prediction: Despite all the innovative e-mobilization and ad campaigns and town halls and community organizing, the August recess will not produce any effective groundswell of popular support for Obama's health care reform. Why? The "security" message--which might appeal to the vast middle--is not getting through. On Pollster.com, Mark Blumenthal discusses the polling that backs this up. ... Reform advocates have now belatedly realized what the Orszag emphasis on cost-reduction has lost them politically, and have started talking about the "moral dimension" of reform. But even that makes it sound too guilt-trippy and altruistic--'do the right thing, even if it costs you.' The point is that everyone wants health care security. I do. You do. It's not a "moral" fight like the civil rights struggle. Transcendence of self-interest should not be required. Suggesting otherwise probably loses more support than it gains. ... P.S.: Have Democrats forgotten how to talk about the welfare state? It seemed to me even Walter Mondale** talked about medical security effectively, back when Charles Krauthammer was writing speeches for him. (Mondale had a proven staple anecdote about what it meant to his mother to get her Medicare card). ... Bring back Mondale! There's another thing I thought I'd never say. ... Update: More on the Gallup numbers that show voters think health care reform is against their own self-interest (in terms of cost and quality of care and access to care). ...
** DeLong: Explain to the juiceboxers who this person was. Thanks! ... 2:41 P.M.
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FYI: MKH PWNS AS FTW! ... FSTFITB!** ..
** First Shoot the Fish In the Barrel ... 3.51 P.M.
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