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eridani

(51,907 posts) Mon Feb 1, 2016, 05:20 AM Feb 2016

PBS Newshour Lies About Single-Payer Health Care

http://commondreams.org/views/2016/01/25/pbs-newshour-lies-about-single-payer-health-care

According to a 2014 Program for Consultation study analyzing public polling occurring between 2008 and 2013, majorities in both "red" (Republican-dominated) and "blue" (Democratic-dominated) congressional districts prefer government to play a greater role in health care.

When presented with the statement, “Healthcare is a right, not a privilege,” 62.3% of respondents in red districts agreed, compared to 62.9% of respondents in blue districts.

When presented with the statement, “Government should be responsible for ensuring health care needs of its citizens,” 55.6% of respondents in red districts agreed, compared to 64.1% of respondents in blue districts.

The Program for Consultation study even found 47.8% of respondents from red districts to agree that they, “Favor government paying for all necessary medical care for everyone.” That compared to 54.9% of respondents in blue districts.

Meanwhile, a 2015 Progressive Change Institute poll found over 50% of Americans support a single-payer health care system like that proposed by Sanders, including 80% of Democrats.

Given all this, a Newshour viewer may have reasonably hoped that at the very least Marcus, the segment's "left" perspective, would have interjected to correct Woodruff with any of the above. But, alas, Woodruff's complete distortion of reality, whether a result of a confounding ignorance or ideological blindness, passed without comment.

It seems that not even a "trusted news program" on an ostensibly public channel is capable of conceding the progressive views of the American public.

3 replies

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Highlight:

PBS Newshour Lies About Single-Payer Health Care (Original Post) eridani Feb 2016 OP

Media Attacking Single-Payer Are Getting Paid Under Current Health System eridani Feb 2016 #1

The NewsHour regularly ignores and/or misstates Governor O'Malley's presidential campaign. elleng Feb 2016 #2

True enough. I think MD negotiating prices with hospitals is a good idea eridani Feb 2016 #3

eridani

(51,907 posts)

1. Media Attacking Single-Payer Are Getting Paid Under Current Health System

Reply to eridani (Original post)

Mon Feb 1, 2016, 05:26 AM

Feb 2016

http://fair.org/home/media-attacking-single-payer-are-getting-paid-under-current-system/

Put aside Mr. Sanders’ lack of political realism, or his dubious choice to tap the rich for huge amounts of revenue and spend it all, with nothing left for deficit reduction or the underfunded Social Security program.

Here we have two key features of an establishment hit job: First, deeply ideological assumptions casually asserted as self-evidently true, in this case that taxing the rich is “dubious”—a position that dovetails nicely with Bezos’ pocketbook and ideological disposition alike. It’s never explained why this is; it’s simply thrown out there as such by Serious Media outlet the Washington Post.

Then there’s the evergreen criticism of leftists that their policies are not “realistic,” that attempts to move too far to the left will alienate centrists and thus make passing laws impossible (though single-payer is routinely favored by a majority of Americans).

This is a gaslighting exercise meant to get people to argue against policies they believe are best, while embracing a logic that is infinitely regressive. If Sanders’ single-payer proposal is too radical, then certainly there’s something to the right of Clinton’s health platform that would render hers too radical as well. And something that would make that too radical, and so on.

elleng

(130,972 posts)

2. The NewsHour regularly ignores and/or misstates Governor O'Malley's presidential campaign.

Reply to eridani (Original post)

Mon Feb 1, 2016, 05:31 AM

Feb 2016

I regularly complain to them about it.

The NewsHour is my primary source for broadcast news.

eridani

(51,907 posts)

3. True enough. I think MD negotiating prices with hospitals is a good idea

Reply to elleng (Reply #2)

Mon Feb 1, 2016, 05:41 AM

Feb 2016

but those negotiations need to happen with pharma and all providers as well. They would under all proposed single payer legislation.

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