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.

____________________________

FYI: MKH PWNS AS FTW! ... FSTFITB!** ..

 ** First Shoot the Fish In the Barrel ... 3.51 P.M.

____________________________