Serious question: Who would be more likely to make Universal Health Care a reality?

[ecstatic]

Which person has the connections to make it happen?

[Skink]

1. Not until we have super majorities in both houses.

[Enthusiast]

15. Even then...

The insurance and pharmaceutical lobby will exert huge influence to stop such a measure. Think of the millions they would lose.

[Occam Bandage]

2. Depends on what you mean by 'universal health care.'

If you mean universal coverage through a mixture of private insurance providers and an expansion of entitlement programs, with increased Federal regulations and cost controls, then I would say Daschle, probably.

If you mean universal single-payer health care, than neither, because Obama isn't in favor of that and the buck ultimately stops with him.

If you mean universal single-payer health care assuming Obama is convinced to change his mind and back universal single-payer, then Dean.

[wyldwolf]

3. as wonkette said...

Tom Daschle is not such an extraordinarily talented individual that he is the only human who can save American healthcare as the head of Health and Human Services. Indeed, the Republican vote on SCHIP shows that nobody can save American healthcare, because the votes aren’t there. Universal healthcare will never, ever happen, not even in the middle of our second Great Depression in which the streets will fill with millions of homeless indigents who lost their health care along with their jobs and are now perishing in the streets. So fuck it, Obama should cut Daschle loose and nominate, why not, YOUR MOM. She pays her taxes, right?

[zbdent]

4. do you really want the truth?

Some Republican president ... should they decide to do so, then the "liberal media" will suddenly act as if it was a brand new idea, and get right behind the ReRushican and back it all the way ...

[zipplewrath]

12. That's been my prediction for a while

The GOP passed the medicare benefit. In a "only Nixon goes to China" sense, one can envision the GOP bringing a universal/single payer system as a gift to the large multinationals that are tired of having to compete with foreign companies that pay these costs indirectly. Probably the best "bailout" we could have given to the auto industry was to have unburdened them (for a fee) from their health care costs.

[Deep13]

5. Obama and Congressional D.s...

...if the latter will pull their thumbs out of their asses.

[IndianaGreen]

6. Dennis Kucinich

Single Payer is the only way to go!

[ecstatic]

7. I guess what I was asking was who can actually get it done

Not who can talk about it--who can actually get the votes and companies on board.

[Occam Bandage]

10. Because DK has had such a sterling record of legislative accomplishment.

I would, however, agree with that choice if the question was, "Who could talk a lot about universal health care and then end up not even getting it to a floor vote?"

[camera obscura]

11. Haha, perfectly worded. Kucinich has very good ideas but he is overrated by a lot of people.

[ensho]

8. a woman, a mother

nt

[Skinner]

9. This poll misses the point.

No HHS secretary is going to make universal healthcare a reality unless the president says so.

The president sets the agenda.

[wyldwolf]

13. but...

HOWARD DEAN!

[Lilith Velkor]

14. We are.

As long as we keep pushing, and don't take "STFU" for an answer, it'll happen, sure as the turning of the earth.