A Squandered Health Care Opportunity: "Obama choked, he suddenly looks weak and unreliable"

Squandered Opportunity
By William Greider
The Nation
August 17, 2009

After his brilliant beginning, the president suddenly looks weak and unreliable. That will be the common interpretation around Washington of the president's abrupt retreat on substantive heathcare reform. Give Barack Obama a hard shove, they will say, rough him up a bit and he folds. A few weeks back, the president was touting a "public option" health plan as an essential element in reform. Now he says, take it or leave it. Whatever Congress does, he's okay with that.

The White House quickly added confusion to the outrage by insisting the president didn't really say anything new. He's just being flexible. He still wants what most Democrats want--a government plan that gives people a real escape from the profit-driven clutches of the insurance companies. But serious power players will not be fooled by the nimble spinners. Obama choked. He raised the white flag, even before the fight got underway in Congress.

He hands the insurance industry a huge victory. He rewards the right-wing frothers who have been calling him Adolph Hitler or Dr. Death. He caves to the conservative bias of the major media who insist only bipartisan consensus is acceptable for big reform (a standard they never invoked during the Bush years). Obama is deluded if he thinks this will win him any peace or respect or Republican votes. Weakness does not lead to consensus in Washington. It leads to more weakness. The Party of No intends to bring him down and will pile on. Obama has inadvertently demonstrated their strategy of vicious invective seems to be working.

Barack Obama mainly did this to himself. To avoid the accusation of socialized medicine, he intentionally shrouded his objectives in bureaucratic euphemisms like "public option." What the hell does that mean? It doesn't mean anything. The vagueness allowed anyone to fill in the blanks and anxious people did so in apocalyptic ways. The original idea, after all, was making something similar to Medicare available to anyone between childhood and old age who was either shut out by high prices or abused by insurance companies policing the system. This approach--call it Medicare Basic--would in theory give government the greater leverage needed to control the price inflation and reshape the system in positive ways. If you told people "public option" was a Medicare equivalent, the polls would demonstrate the popularity. Instead, that objective is now at risk. The right still calls Obama a covert socialist.

There is a more cynical interpretation of Obama's flexibility. He is coming out right about where he wanted to be. Forget the good talk, it is said, this president never really intended to do deep reform that truly alters the industrial power structure dominating our dysfunctional healthcare system.

In this scenario, Obama has always been more comfortable with the center-right forces within the Democratic party--Senator Max Baucus and the Blue Dogs--and the Clintonistas of DLC lineage who now fill his administration. His real political challenge was to string along the liberals with reassuring talk until they were stuck with lousy choices-- either go along with this popular president's pale version of reform or take him on and risk ruining his presidency.



Please read the complete article at:

http://www.thenation.com/doc/20090831/greider

I blame the Democrats (Senate), not Obama. At least, for better and usually for worse, the elected Republicans in the Senate had Bush's back early on in his administration. Bayh et. al. caved. It is too bad that there was not a lot of community organization on the liberal side in support of health care reform. I would have donated money to fund commercials and the like.

The problem started with how the stimulus was passed.

It should have been more carefully and deliberately written. Time should have been taken to make sure it was a very responsible bill. All spending within 12 months, most of it before 6 months, not 2-3 years from now. A second stimulus for spending next year could have been crafted, and showed responsible law making.

That stimulus is going to go down as a very very harmful bill to the democratic party. The way it was done has destroyed a lot of trust and good will, and set an irresponsible precedent.

ymmv

:dem:

-Laelth

And the monies are being spent in a measured, responsible manner instead of the willy-nilly way you espoused.

The greatest fear of the Republicans is that the stimulus is now working, and working well.

Is that what you are actually afraid of?

Oh, yeah, welcome to DU blah blah blah....

:dem:

-Laelth

:eyes:

...but thanks for playing.

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Do you really believe that The Nation magazine and the writer are right-wing "Obama haters" or similiar nonsense?

Since all you do is post slams on Obama, you have no credibility at all.

does Mr. Greider have any credibility?

You and the rest of the goon squad are doing nothing more than trying to shout down posters whose opinions you disagree with. You are no better than the right wingers who are disrupting the healthcare debates.

Mr. Greider is certainly credible in my view. Better Believe It and the rest of the bitter sore losers, on the other hand, are a pack of blistering self-defeating douchebags, which I just thought I'd register. As for your persecution complex, I can't speak to it.

This is not the place to bully people and employ trash talk as your last and only argument.

If you hate civil debate and discussion perhaps you can find a trash talk board that you'll enjoy.

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Oh boohoo.

more of your MSM slam

Do you only trust blogs then? Ones that don't include any references/links to any 'MSM' source?... As in pure opinion blogs?... specifically your opinions when blogged?

How about if you are presented with the distillation of the story-



Would you care to pronounce your judgements on those sentences?... or is any dissenting thought to be dismissed without consideration?

Obama has really fucked this whole thing up. We won't be getting any reform worth having and the dems will lose a shit load of seats in 2010 because of this clusterfuck.

Is that your idea of grown up?

.

:thumbsup:

I know the faithful wont like it, but the realists here will see it as a piece thats meant to prod the administration in the right direction, so there nothing wrong with it.

they need to be prodded, reminded, etc...

Otherwise, the only pressure they get is from right-wing crazies and Blue dogs...

do you mean those who continue to portray everyting the Obama does in a negative like and buy into every conceivable RW/MSM spin?

Realists = detractors

to get "something accomplished" that usually only works out to the benefit of some business sector while ignoring the needs of the average person.

Non-realists are the blind followers, much like we used to criticize the Republicans for as they refused to accept how much Bush was fucking up the country.

:thumbsup:

:dem:

-Laelth

who watches msm anyway, please tell me you don't

Not that the chronic Obama-bashing assholes around here actually do anything to help progressive legislation get passed.

some good but I now think he's just a wimpy little bloodsucker who caters to negative shitholes.

When the revolution is completed, he will be silenced.

Very stealthy... :eyes:

What bullshit.

"Squandered Opportunity"?

Has Obama signed a bill? Have the House and Senate even voted on a bill?

It's really clear that there are some on the left who are as incapable of logic as those on the right. Greider needs to keep his premature predictions of failure to himself.

Good grief.

Like I wrote yesterday:

"So what should liberals/progressives do?

Supporters of both single payer Medicare for All and a strong public option that will be available for everyone should continue to press our demands and not let up for a moment."

There are I believe 5 bills floating around, they are all works in progress. The fight is really JUST STARTING. You don't roll out a new product in Aug.

posters here are doing, and many are getting scorn and contumely.

is the progressive wing. Obama is so fucking wishywashy and weak he cant stand up for the people, just the usual whoring to the corporations. My god thi guy ran on reform and look how the discussion is going. Nothing left but progressives and labor drawing a line in the sand and these dlc scumbags in the white house obfuscate endlessly. Change, my ass

Unbelievable. :eyes:

But, the article tells the actual truth.

:thumbsup:

sums you up it seems.

Are you from France?

empowering.

:sarcasm:

If you really think like that, how do you choose to keep living? seriously-

:shrug:

When the debate starts from a point of weakness, you have already lost.

successful change involve moving from a position of relative "weakness" (or at least lesser power) to one of increased strength?

If you only enter into situations you are certain you will win, you'll always be living at the mercy "them".

I'm not just arguing for the sake of arguing, this goes beyond Health Care- (I think the article even points that out).

We're involved in a struggle against the present established way of doing things. If we weren't beginning from what is perceived as a "weaker position" then WE'D be the ones in control already, wouldn't we?

President Obama has a bad habit of starting from a compromise position and then being forced to give up more.

Do you understand that? :shrug:

up front visible public activity by many organizations and members of the House and Senate who support a strong public option.

Most Senators who support a strong public option seem to be missing in action.

It's now or never for those Senators.

Talk me into trying to fight for something if no one wants to fight with you...many people on this board have been fighting day in and day out like ProSense and others but we are told we are "apologists". Look, I support the President but support public option more. Still, many here are ready to throw in the towel because they think they have no ability to do anything. If we have no control over it what is the point? I am torn.

of what "many consider it to be" then you are part of the problem not the solution.

What matters is YOUR conviction to fighting for what you know is needed- even if you feel like you're up against a machine.

If we don't keep trying, then we REALLY are LOSERS.

:hug:

We need to keep up the struggle, and encourage each other.

That's the only possible way we'll ever get where we need to be Jennicut.

:hi:

all for single payer or the public option. We are all on the same side and instead of fighting each other (which is what the Rethugs, insurance companies, and many in the MSM want) we should be directing our energies toward fighting for some kind of reform.

and believe me i understand the frustration and weariness, but "we" are a formidable force if we really stick together, and stick with it.

sorry if i sound preachy or naive- (actually,i'm pretty jaded, and struggling to not to give in to defeatist propaganda.)

:grouphug:

peace~
blu

since the "STOLEN FLORICA ELECTION!"

WE ARE NOT QUITTING...! NEVER!

But, if you don't have stamina to deal with it and you endanger your family with your "radical views" then it's best you quit.

has been any wavering on the public option for months now. People like him on this board are the ones who helped create this mess by not pushing back on the trial balloons, hints and outright declarations that the public option was in trouble. Instead of raising voices and sending an unequivocal signal to our political leaders that ceding on the public option was unacceptable, the pattern has been clear, deny the obvious, accuse people of making it up and provide cover for politicians laying the groundwork for dropping the public option.

"...People like him on this board are the ones who helped create this mess by not pushing back on the trial balloons, hints and outright declarations that the public option was in trouble. Instead of raising voices and sending an unequivocal signal to our political leaders that ceding on the public option was unacceptable, the pattern has been clear, deny the obvious, accuse people of making it up and provide cover for politicians laying the groundwork for dropping the public option"

utter bullshit- what are YOU doing to make things better?

Nay saying, spreading gossip, and doing the opposition's work for them is more of a reason why we are in this mess that your attempt to smear a fellow DUer.

If you've given up- that's your choice- but don't expect to meet friction when you go recruiting for the "quit while your behind club".

:shrug:

may not be kept. Others here have chosen to accept the long, slow slide to where we are today. When triggers were talked about, people denied that that was what was happening and told everyone to shut up, when the weasel words started to dribble out about the public option being expendable, the same apologists were first in line to provide cover. Instead of "insist", "demand" or "require" we were told that "prefer" was actually the stronger term to be used when it came to the public option.

By calling push back on these obvious signals nay-saying and spreading gossip or doing the oppositions work, you and others like you, deserve equal credit with those in power for helping this situation to occur.

that would help the Dems. That is about all I will say on that.

have no responsibility other than to tell everyone that nothing is going to work eh?

I've lived the "victim" role far to long in my 50 something years to not know it when i see it.

I'll repeat what I said - YOU are doing the oppositions work for them, and seeking recruits to join you.

Thanks, but you can count me out- I intend to succeed or go down trying.

good luck to you.

:hi:

:applause:

bravo...

really gives a shit speaking out- at every opportunity.

AND refuting the doomsayers, who really are preaching defeat and surrender.

It's important to look at life realistically. But this article has the ending already written, and represents a perspective not a prophesy. Unless people choose to just give up and make it so.

No one is saying this is going to come out perfect- but it sure as hell isn't over yet.

A group of idiotic senate democrats decided that the American people will call them weak unless they vote to give bush the unregulated power to have a war... so a democratically controlled Senate authorized a war against a country that didn't attack us. As recently as 2008, a bunch of apologists still tried to explain away the votes of these senators, as if we can forgive their hand in genocide. What happened? Democrats lost an election that SHOULD have been an easy victory.

In the name of "compromise" and "bipartisanship" the White House has let this entire issue get away from them. Now, a slightly different group of Senators (many of the same idiots) are so terrified of being labeled "socialist" that they are actively taking all the teeth out of health care reform.

The plan (even in its full implementation) is shit anyway.. as it still vest enormous power in the insurance companies.

However, a small gem of hope is a STRONG public option.. not a co-op, not a conglomerate of private insurance companies.. but an actual public option.


2002 followed a very specific pattern. At first, there was NO WAY bush was getting his war vote. I knew I could rely on John Kerry who would never vote for a war like this. He was even on TV in the weeks leading up to the vote speaking out AGAINST the resolution. I called his office several times and thanked him for standing up against the craziness. Then the language started changing and democrats started caving.

By the time it was all over... people voted for the war, but gave long winded floor speeches trying to explain why they weren't really voting for a war, but (*insert idiot excuse here*).


Here we are again now... Is it over? No. Can they do the right thing? Yes.

However, I have seen absolutely no evidence to suggest they have learned from past mistakes!

The massive Wall Street give away earlier this year was evidence they have not actually learned.

:dem:

-Laelth

Sunday the HHS SEC said basically that the public option was not critical. Yesterday we heard that the Prez DOES consider it critical. The WH phone line was flooded with calls, 99% in favor of the public option. Then today Gibbs says Obama "prefers" the public option.

It seems from my vantage point that the Prex decided to take "whatever he could get" in this issue. When that turned out to be nothing, he didn't have a plan.

your just gonna end up dead eventually.

What benefit is posting this article???

What GOOD does it do anyone, except those who chose to accept defeat before any votes have even been taken???

Jesus, your kind is worse than worthless. You're the Republicans' useful idiots.

But, you Leftwing Limbaughs will lap this crap up.

He only said that the public option is not the entirety of healthcare reform. That does not mean the public option is negligible - only that there is MORE to healthcare reform than the very necessary public option. The public option is a starting point, not the end all.

No reform bill without a public option should be signed - and he has NEVER said he would sign one without it.

And yet you put that in quotation marks.

That observation sums up what Obama's attitude seems to be in the authors opinion.

The writer isn't allowed to have that opinion?

A few weeks back, the president was touting a "public option" health plan as an essential element in reform. Now he says, take it or leave it. Whatever Congress does, he's okay with that.

I was quoting the WRITER, not Obama.

I was pointing out how the WRITER was misconstruing what Obama said.

Quite DELIBERATELY misconstruing what he said. Just as you are doing.

.

We'd have one fucked up inefficient death care system.

I agree with you, it's a piece of the bigger puzzle and a means to an end: affordable, fair, efficient, health care available to all.

:toast:

I'll wait until Congress recesses for the year to start my post-mortem on health care reform (IF it dies on the vine, that is).

He is a well informed writer for the Nation Magazine with years of experience and a "thinking mind."

In his administration. Those folks aren't going to push for any REAL reform. So something like this was bound to happen anyway because he put too much faith in former Clinton officials instead of going outside the box.

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(I remembered them all ...so he or MSNBC didn't doctor them up) and what he PROMISED for CHANGE "You Can Believe In" has fallen far short of what the guy had delivered ...starting out with picking BUSH FOLKS for Military and Banking/Financial."

If there was "Change You Can Believe In" then WHERE IS IT?

I feel personally betrayed by Obama's performance in the last few days.

He is weak, he has sold out, he is NOT fighting or leading in any useful way.

If things do not change, and fast, he will FAIL on the issue, hopelessly divide the party, and be a one-term president.

I don't want this to happen.

Well said Mr. Greider...it's time they stood up to do what's best for We..the People!"

Taking the high road will be hard and divisive. But maybe this is at last the season when Democrats reveal which side they are on.

Care? You want to shut them out?

Didn't we just go through that with Bush Years...Stolen Election and Debt for two WARS up the YING/YANG?

:eyes: You gotta be kidding..or on the "Think Tank" dole/payroll.

Why not wait until there is actually a bill before running up the white flag and doing the post mortem?

I'm never quite sure what journalists on the left hope to gain from hysteria.

We're sounding the alert and opposing those in positions of political power who we believe are "running up the white flag" of surrender to the health care industry.

Now tell me you really don't understand that.

You're trying to make the victims of this capitulation look like the perpetrators!

The primary was won by Obama and his policies are the goal. Dissenting against him removes his constituent mandate reducing his bully pulpit. This is why the Dino's cannot be wrangled. Dissent is the dark way to achieve your goals. We will lose ANY meaningful reform now and it is because of the democratic dissenters.

that just seems an easy out to me, to blame it all on some leftover bad feelings from the primaries...

backing down on the public option is a pretty big deal. A pretty big policy deal. Are we supposed to support him just because he's Barack Obama or are we supposed to support him because we believe in his policies? You reduce things to a level of personal vendetta, a desire to see Obama fail for personal reasons? I think that's a shallow excuse.

Perhaps Obama is losing his constituent mandate because he is waffling on his policy goals. He's the leader, at some point the blame for failure is his.

If you want to fight for specific policies, the time for that is in the primary. After that, we are nose to nose with republicans. This is not just or right, but it is reality. Yes, if you haven't moved from whats Ideal to whats good, then your stuck in first gear. Public option is almost as good as SP and the only reason he cant use his bully pulpit is because the base is agitating.

He is a politician, he will only fail if we don't support him.

That's what Obama ran on in the primary...


What if I feel that no public option, or even a weak public option combined with mandated health insurance would be a step backward?

A gift to the insurance industries of 40 million new customers, many at taxpayer expense, with nothing in return.

I don't want to be put in that position, because I do understand your argument - but that's what seems to be happening. It seems to me more of a case of moving from the ideal to the bad, not good.

we are now in that position because of lack of support. The republicans will march in lock step against us and if we are still debating the course of action to take, they will roll over us.

There is very little he can do at this point. As far as im concerned, the best we can look forward to is some regulation of private insurance to insure that they don't drop people when they get sick and to limit preexisting condition drops. This is where we are NOW, but it wasn't where we where at when this started.

Without the Bully Pulpit, the democrats will not work together towards his goal of a public option. They will instead be at the mercy of the blue dogs.

Sadly for all of us Greider is right on the money!

And the OP is more anti-Obama than most Freepers.

As to the second point, well, maybe. There's an increasing preponderance of evidence to support the contention, after all.

I hope to God that is only an appearance, that he snaps back pretty quickly, or that others in the legislative branch begin taking up the slack.

at health care rallies. He's doing what a President should do in the face of very real danger. And in the process the republicans look like thugs who bring GUNS to Presidential events.

So the framing is in very vivid pictures. Republicans are thugs with guns. Democrats are reasonable and brave in the face of the threat of violence.

How imaginative and informative.

:sarcasm: