We started healthcare reform with the ball on the 30 yardline in the opponent's territory

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

Healthcare reform was a HUGE topic right up there with the War in Iraq in the Presidential election. The election itself was a referendum as to whether the American people were desirous of healthcare reform and the overwhleming response was YES! YES! YES!
We BLEW AWAY the election! We turned nine red states blue!

And then, somehow, we managed to work the ball back down so that now it is third and 7 on our own forty.

The error was made when the Administration backed up the debate to WHETHER REFORM WAS NECESSARY - a question that had already been asked and answered by the election!

House parties were held early on, both in December and March where people were encouraged to tell one another healthcare horror stories and agree that reform was needed. The White House asked us to send them our health care horror stories to convince who I don't don't know that reform was needed. WE KNEW REFORM WAS NEEDED!!! But what we got was Healthcare Queen for a Day - who can tell the saddest and most depressing story.

All of the early momentum was just totally wasted with completely unnecessary reinforcement for a message already received and sent, countless times, over decades. If we do not ultimately achieve affordable accessible healthcare for the American people with a REAL public option available as a choice and a countermeasure to compulsory private insurance it will be the biggest squandering of an electoral mandate in recent modern history.

[Vincardog]

1. it will be the biggest squandering of The ONLY electoral mandate in 20 years

[rudy23]

2. Obama has been like Jim "Wrong Way" Marshall on healthcare

He acts like he's sprinting for a touchdown, when he's running towards the wrong end zone.

[Cleita]

3. Not only that we were being sand bagged by the referees. n/t

[high density]

4. I don't remember the admin starting with "whether the reform was necessary."

I have seen them arguing that the status quo is unsustainable from the start and that healthcare reform is a vital part of our economic recovery.

[dflprincess]

7. Yes, the status quo of private, for profit insurance companies is unsustainable

unless we're forced to buy their crappy products. The only part of the economy that will be helped by the "reform" being pushed is the health insurance industry and maybe the credit card companies as people have to continue to use plastic to cover the high copays and deductibles that will be permitted.

[T Wolf]

5. From my point of view, Obama is just playing to cover the point spread, even to the point of

purposely losing the game (taking a knee on fourth down to avoid another turnover that would lose the bet against the house).

This opportunity will not come again in my lifetime. To blow this is unforgivable.

[BlueIdaho]

6. In fairness...

The insurance and health industries have spent more on bending the trajectory of health care reform than both parties spent on the last presidential election combined. They have cynically outwardly agreed with the need for reform while privately driving a corporate for-profit agenda. Greed, corruption, and self centered political interest in congress stand between Americans and meaningful change. Its hardly fair to put all that on the President's shoulders.

[dflprincess]

8. Except that the president is playing the game by the insurance company's rules

just like Congress is. He tells us the industry needs to be "kept honest" but he's just as anxious as every crooked member of Congress to protect that industry.

[TheKentuckian]

9. The concept of the need for health care reform is no less valid than it was during the election

I think you are making a false case. The slippage (if any, I doubt the entire premise) has nothing to do with reform not being needed or throwing the game. The bog down (again, if any) comes from actually moving a concept to reality and a very natural focus on jobs and job security as what they believe should be focus #1.

The problem is the OP has decided that the TYPE of reform they favor isn't coming. I can accept that but to pretend there has been significant loss of ground from a year ago. I'd also beg to differ on the idea put forward that the election was a referendum on health care reform. No question this has long been a plank that we have pushed for but to dismiss the hundreds of other reasons people caste their votes is intellectually dishonest. The Iraq War, general mismanagement, overall foreign policy, refuting Republicanism, and the ruined economy were no less a factor than health care reform in broad terms and certainly not on specifics.

How can you honestly describe the scenario as you have? I'm in no way trying diminish the importance of health care reform but to describe the last election as a referendum on whether the American people wanted reform is really, really, really stretching a fair point to the point of being foolish. There is no way that health care reform could possibly be issue #1 with like 17% of people either out of work or underemployed and many more dealing with a serious decline in buying power, especially since for decades we have had a employer based insurance system which means no job no coverage.

[yurbud]

10. DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT: call white house and demand public option be open to ANYONE

[bigwillq]

12. Every time I call it's busy

Which is either a good thing or a bad thing.

[KakistocracyHater]

11. San Francisco now gives healthcoverage to all San Franciscans

I know that doing everything possible to provide the same benefits for Americans that the rest of the world already does is so important. It's important enough to get individual Cities to join, & if States want to join let them; Mayors & Governors, let us step into the 21st Century-finally!