How GOP Talking Points Will (Ironically) Help Pass The HC Bill

[ihavenobias]

Ironically the GOP's factually incorrect, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7LyEqrVuiQM|fear mongering talking points on HC> have helped make it possible to pass the bill the Dems are getting ready to vote for.

It's a double whammy:

1. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NwiKGjM5tHU|Misinformed/Heartless dopes across America> made headlines ranting about a "government takeover", "Communism" and "Marxism" nonsense which scared politicians, and some well intentioned low-information voters. It also made the half-loaf solution (public option) seem like a full-loaf solution (single payer). It even drove president Obama to say this: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x7945016|"I have rejected a whole bunch of provisions that the left wanted.">

2. Most of us naturally want to stand up against this fear mongering BS from Palin, Beck, Limbaugh and racist teabaggers across America. Unfortunately in this case, as the right reflexively and uncritically chants "Kill The Bill!" it makes some on the left reflexively and uncritically chant "Pass It!".

Notice I specifically wrote "some" because I know there are plenty of intelligent, thoughtful people who want to pass this bill.

At any rate, plenty of people who'd normally be much more leery and skeptical about the current bill (if not wanting to kill it because it http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x7933996|might make real reform impossible for decades>) have been pushed into the "it's better than nothing" camp by the right wing rhetoric. The other negative side effect is that the GOP BS makes it much easier for some to dismiss, mock and marginalize real and serious http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-sirota/whats-the-matter-with-dem_b_505551.html|objections> to this reform effort from strong progressives. Instead of critically viewing their largely valid claims, a lot of people dismiss them as "purists" or "closet right wingers", because again, technically they want to kill the bill as well, although their motive (and information base) couldn't be more different.

PS---I spoke with http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rj-eskow|respected healthcare consultant RJ Eskow> who ultimately decided http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QS9u3_EFmYs|we should pass the bill>...but he also said that http://fdlaction.firedoglake.com/2010/03/19/fact-sheet-the-truth-about-the-health-care-bill|Hamsher's 18 Points> are largely correct, which should make even the strongest pro-bill advocates take pause.

[Wetzelbill]

1. K and R

[Raine]

2. On Point! nt

[theFrankFactor]

3. Kickiddy! Recciddy!

[pleah]

4. K&R

[ScreamingMeemie]

5. Thanks for posting this.

Happy to recommend.

[sabrina 1]

6. Good points, points made last summe airc, as the

almost clownish tea-baggers roamed the country like a carnival, with full media coverage, and vitually no response from the WH.

The tea-baggers are helping to pass this awful bill ~ for all the reasons mentioned in the OP.

People should not allow their antics to influence them at all. The people threw out Republicans because they did not like their ideas, one of which, and one of the most unpopular, was Mandated Insurance.

In a sane country, people acting, and I'm not sure if it it an act or we really do have people that are this insane in this country, are best ignored and not allowed to distract from the issues.

But one thing is certain, pro-Private Insurance advocates, must love these clowns.

For me, I oppose this bill and their antics have no influence on that. I can criticize both at the same time without any problem.

[Uncle Joe]

7. And Gingrich tying it to Civil Rights because he knows that's popular with Democrats and most

Independents.

Here's the way I see Republican dynamics.

1. The Republicans know they can't stop this bill.

2. They know the for profit "health" insurance corporations are despised by the American People.

3. They know this bill will cement an illogical, immoral, dysfunctional, redundant, despised industry in to American Society without their fingerprints on it by opposing it for their partisan public consumption.

4. The Republicans could never pass a bill requiring financial mandates to private for profit corporations, because their supporters would revolt and yet no party is more owned and tied to the idea of all things privatization of everything good/government bad and corporate supremacy than the Republicans, as just reflected by their Supreme Court choices.

5. If the Republicans had joined in the debate in a sincere effort to pass the best policy representing the interests of the American People over those of corporations, this bill would be more progressive than it is and that's why the didn't.

6. The Republicans decided that politics trumped policy and that by opposing this bill, they would still get what they wanted for their primary corporate constituency without even having to vote for it while politically hurting the Democrats in the process.

7. The also know any court challenge will ultimately be decided by their Supreme Court and this SC will come down on the side of corporations.

Kicked and recommended, I must leave for the evening, thanks for the thread, ihavenobias.

[gratuitous]

8. They've also screwed themselves

They adopted the most extremist language and rhetoric as their own. And if health care reform is the latter day equivalent of Hitler, how do you sign on to this? How can you even negotiate with it? You can't. You can't (or you'd better not) negotiate with Hitler. And so each and every Republican becomes tied to the opposition millstone. None of them dare cross their Nitwit Brigade extremists, even though the bill will help thousands of each one's constituents. So it is totally fair to tie them to their racist, homophobe, nutjob supporters, because that's who they've cast their lot with.

[WillyT]

9. Great Points All !!!

K & R !!!

:kick:

:hi:

[Capitalocracy]

10. Those teabagging snarks stole Kill the Bill from us

That's what us Proggies used to say when the Senate bill first started to look like it was going to come out on top. And like all our best talking points, the teabaggers successfully stole it from us.

[sabrina 1]

11. Wonder why?

One thing is for sure, we are being manipulated. Or at least that is what the intention is. I believe some of them are for real, I just wonder about the whole phony movement.

That is why it's necessary to have thought through one's position on important issues and not allow anyone to manipulate them once they are confident that they position they are taking is the right one, absent new information.

At least we are aware. I don't envy anyone who tries to use that talking point with those I know whose opposition to this bill will not be influenced one bit by such an obvious and deliberate attempt to twist facts. Such people are not worth debating as they are dishonest with dishonest intentions.

[CherylK]

12. K & R!

:thumbsup:

[democracy1st]

13. K & R

[leftstreet]

14. K&R

[laughingliberal]

15. Even when we vote the Republicans out in large numbers over 2 election cycles, they still

manage to win. Your points here are right on. The teabaggers and Republicans managed to push reform so far to the right, it's being endorsed by Newt Gingrich. We vote out Republicans and they put a Blue Dog Democrat in there to replace them. And anything that would have resembled a Democratic bill 30 years ago is off the table before the debate begins. God help us. As much hell as we raised about Snowe's sham PO of a trigger, we sit here now thinking even THAT would have been more that we got.

[MedfordTim]

16. KICK that R!

[amborin]

17. K&R The whole bill is a corporatist's dream! rethugs couldn't have done a better job

[Eyerish]

18. K&R

I've seen too many posters use the reasoning, "I don't like this bill, but it must past so the republicans can't win". It's fear and the need to win no matter what that's driving this.

[DCBob]

19. The GOPers have painted themselves into a tight corner..

Their only hope is to continue to lie and deceive. But it will be much more difficult now that the bill is passed and the real truth about the effects will be seen.

[Greyhound]

20. K&R.

[Rhiannon12866]

21. K&R! You are so right...

The hysterical RW hyperbolic rhetoric, which has saturated the airwaves to the point of becoming the only talking points on this bill, has totally overshadowed any legitimate and intelligent criticism. Most who oppose it have no idea what it actually contains... :-(

For example, this poorly worded MSNBC poll: :eyes:

How do you think you'll be affected by the health care overhaul if it passes?

58.8%
I think this legislation will be detrimental for me and future generations. We will be stuck in a costly, socialized health care system with too much government control over our lives.
41,341 votes

11.3%
I don't know how the overhaul will affect me. I want people without health insurance to be able to afford coverage, but I’m fearful that the Senate will not pass all the necessary fixes to make it a more palatable piece of legislation.
7,948 votes

29.9%
I think health care reform will be a huge step for our nation. The overhaul will bar insurers from denying coverage on the basis of pre-existing medical conditions and will extend coverage to more than 32 million uninsured Americans.
21,014 votes

http://www.newsvine.com/_question/2010/03/21/4047432-how-do-you-think-youll-be-affected-by-the-health-care-overhaul-if-it-passes

[ihavenobias]

22. That's very interesting.

Thank you for sharing this poll!

[Rhiannon12866]

23. I guess my reply didn't address the subject of your post...

But the content. I watched quite a bit of the coverage and couldn't believe the extreme acrimony. David Dreier... Yikes! :scared:

This poll was on an earlier thread and I thought that the language of the first choice was designed to incite... x(

[ihavenobias]

28. Well, it goes back to my previous post, 'the worst case scenario'.

At least what I fear will be the worst case scenario. Time will tell.

[Rhiannon12866]

34. I'm anxious about it, too, but Ed Schultz said they got rid of the penalties...

My concern is that if there was such sturm und drang over what they finally got through, how could they possibly pass something better?! :shrug: :-(

[Uncle Joe]

29. The vast majority of the corporate media will most certainly focus only on reporting conservative

opposition while ignoring progressive or liberal criticism.

They don't want the American People to logically consider the impact of a strong national public option or universal coverage, I believe that will be the tone through the next several elections.

The corporate media wants to protect the concept of for profit "health" insurance so they can continue to sell their commercials and advertising.

This is the inherent conflict of interest everyone should keep in mind whenever listening to the corporate media's reporting on this or most any subject relating to the pros and cons of for profit corporations and "We the Peoples'" government.

[ihavenobias]

30. Yes, and that creates another problem.

They're going to make it seem like ALL liberals are for it. And the people showboating and overjoyed today are creating some unrealistic expectations setting everyone up for a very rude awakening over this Romneycare plan.

[Uncle Joe]

31. Exactly and this is how they warp the American Peoples' perspective regarding this mythical center

while continually dragging it to the right.

I believe, if not checked, this pervasive on-going, one sided, corporate media propaganda effort of tilting the American People's sense of balance will ultimately cause a societal fall.

[Rhiannon12866]

35. Exactly. That's much more exciting and more easily understood by sixth graders...

I used to write the network TV listings that you see in the paper, and we had to write to be understood by that demographic. Explaining the details of this bill would go right over their heads. Most people don't even understand the words that the right uses to incite the masses, like Socialism! :scared: :-(

And you're right. Never forget that it's the corporate media. x(

[inna]

24. Excellent post. KR

[eridani]

25. I'm thinking that their sociopathic behavior was a much bigger push n/t

[mmonk]

26. I hope to use the Hamsher points today.

Thanks for a reality post. While I don't in general oppose that it has passed, I do fear this is where it ends for a long time. That is where any tragedy is.

[OhioChick]

27. Kick n/t

[ejbr]

32. This diary is spot on

at least as far as I am concerned. The more I heard the ridiculous crap coming from the right, the less I cared about the things about this bill that bothered me. I actually found myself looking for ways to identify with the right, but they, as always, jumped the shark.

[CherylK]

33. Bump!

:kick: