Why is Obama trying to "sell" us health care reform?

[Bread and Circus]

The polls overwhelmingly supporting reform, notwithstanding...isn't the fact that we elected Obama by a large margin proof enough we want reform? Exactly why is he "taking this to the people!"? We already get it, we want it, and we voted FOR it when we voted for him and a vast majority in the House and Senate. That's how representative democracy is supposed to work.

All the serious Democratic candidates in the Primary strongly advocated for reform, specifically including a public option or better (in the case of Kucinich). They all ran on public options and universal coverage of some kind. Obama did this in the primary and in the general as well. A Democratic leader was elected. If this is essentially a party plank, where is the debate and why are we being courted?

Elections matter, and the elections are over.

The real problem is not getting the "people" on board...it's getting 6 Senators on board (or whatever the exact number is).

I almost think Obama does himself a disservice by acting like he still needs to convince us rather than just strong-arming the errant Senators who are putting politics and campaign $$$ ahead of sound policy and doing what's right.

The more he acts like there is a debate, the more he legitimizes those who are looking to delay, derail, or corrupt reform.

Personally, I think he should make back channel threats to the people standing in the way of saving lives. Either you vote with the President, or you are going to go down in the next primary to whoever Obama chooses to bless.

Consider me very disgusted at this point. With Bush, I was ashamed of my country, though I felt it got the bad governance it deserved. With Obama, I feel better about the avg American voter but I'm a lot more depressed about the Democratic Party that doesn't seem to know how to win, even when we hand the victory to them on silver near-filibuster proof platter.

What's wrong with these people?

[redqueen]

1. Perhaps due to polls like the one cited here?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x3991720

Not sure if there's been any other indication of changes in public support for reform, but that was my first thought after reading your OP.

[rudy23]

2. It's very clear to me that Obama's taking a dive on this, and making it "look good"

This is the most eloquent President we've had in recent memory. He's still in his honeymoon period, somewhat. Democrats have the biggest mandate we've had in a generation.

If he wanted to make it happen, he would. Then think back to all his doublespeak throughout the campaign about lobbyists and "bipartisanship." He was giving himself cover to serve the corporations that would put him in office. Now, he's doing just that by passing a mediocre bill, and making it look like he tried while Rahm and the Blue Dog "bad cops" neuter the bill to Obama's masters' liking.

[Individualist]

16. Agree

"If he wanted to make it happen, he would."

The fact that he surrounded himself with DLCers after he was elected says a lot.

[dflprincess]

3. Because he's actually selling health insurance

not health care. The only "reform" he's interested in is forcing us to buy the same lousy product from the insurance companies.

When you're peddling the status quo you better find a way to make it sound new if you want to fool people.

[timeforpeace]

15. Correct. And not getting it through fast allows more time to uncover what's really going on.

Now you know why people here were screaming NOW when it doesn't even go into effect for years. For some reason, they didn't want the truth to come out. Whose side are the DO IT NOW folks on?

[dflprincess]

17. You gotta wonder, don't you?

The only thing we know for sure is the "do it now" crowd is not on our side.

(And remember how well "do it now" worked for the Patriot Act, IWR & TARP?)

[rudy23]

19. 100% agreed. You nailed it as succintly as possible. nt

[havocmom]

4. Obama knows we can't fix all that is wrong in US by him doing it

He knows VOTERS matter. If he can inspire enough of them to get very involved with the processes by which government really operates, we may be able to wrest control of things from big money and get back to something resembling representative democracy.

He wants to invite We The People to rise up and get REALLY involved. What wrong with these people? They know that real change only happens with community activism. We are the community they are trying to activate to such a degree that the fools on the Hill won't ignore us as they go about business as usual for the Fat Cat and Status Quo.

Far as I can see, there is nothing wrong with that/them UNLESS We The People keep expecting somebody to fix everything for us. WE ALL have to fix the things that have gone terribly wrong.

[babylonsister]

5. I think Obama is also combatting the r/w lies that are all over the

place out there.

I don't know if you saw yesterday's town hall, but a woman asked about the word going around that the new reform has something to do with killing seniors. That's compliments of the rnc and their noise machine.

And yes, our Dems aren't winning any fans for anyone paying attention.

[supernova]

6. Because he's hoping the public

with put pressure on Congress to enact proper reform, like we at DU are doing. Are we enough? I dunno. :shrug:

I don't think it's because he really wants "insurance reform." I think he really does want to scrap our system and begin again. But, he's taking what he can get.

[redqueen]

9. I tend to agree...

both with you and havocmom above.

[supernova]

11. His mom

I think the memory of watching his mom argue with her insurers from her sick bed is still very fresh in his mind.

Nothing like trying to right the wrongs done to Momma to motivate a man. ;-)

[tabatha]

13. Agreed.

He is going to do the best he can in an almost impossible situation.

[SammyWinstonJack]

7. Just like bu$h running around the Country trying to sell his tax cuts. Most of us got screwed.

[DJ13]

8. He's selling reduced expectations, not reform

The WH isnt stupid, they see that the public wants a single payer program, but since the WH refuses to buck the big insurance lobby he has to get the public ready to get bucked over once again.

[Walk away]

10. I am completely disillusioned.

Now they are talking about the "cost of doing nothing" what a load of garbage. How is it that Obama can't get these people in line? I'm sorry but I think the Clintons would have at least managed to get the Democrats in the Senate to vote for a public option.

He doesn't have to convince the public, we're already convinced. He has to make the Blue Dogs vote our way. He is the leader of our party for crissakes!

[tabatha]

12. Now they are talking about the "cost of doing nothing"

That is why he has to continue selling it.

I think you are a little confused - Obama cannot wave a magic wand, and everything is fixed. That would be a dictatorship. This is a democracy, and getting democrats in line has been likened to herding cats.

If the Clintons were so wonderful, why did they not pass healthcare?

[Walk away]

14. 16 years ago? Gee I don't know, maybe because Americans...

didn't care. Right now the majority of Americans want single payer and we have a super majority in the senate. The country is desperate and the rate of un and under insured has skyrocketed. I think Bozo the Clown could get us some real reform if he really wanted to.

[dflprincess]

18. The "cost of doing nothing" is that the current system (for lack of a better word)

will collapse because no one will be able to afford it and the only option left would be to expand Medicare to all of us.

That would cost the insurance companies and their elected stooges plenty.