What if progressives had put the public option on the ballot in all 50 states

[Tony_FLADEM]

I was watching Rachel Maddow yesterday and she was talking about the Missouri Senate race in 2006 and how the minimum wage on the ballot helped the Democrats.


If the public option were on the ballot do you think Democrats would be doing better?

[glowing]

1. Actually, yes, it would help a ton.. AND it would pass probably most of the states..

[Name removed]

2. Deleted message

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[B Calm]

3. Not all states allow for that. But damn right it would help. The republicans

have been good teachers, now we just have to practice what they taught us!

[sandnsea]

4. That needs to be done, in conjunction with the exchanges

I think Oregon is fighting for a public option in the exchange. Every state should be working to get that on the ballot or in whatever legislative process they have to get it done. That is a FANTASTIC IDEA!!

[frazzled]

5. Conservative ballot questions would cancel any gains

They'd have ballot questions to ban income taxes or gays or birth control or whatever. (In addition, I'm not clear how a state ballot could interact with federal law, although perhaps states have the right to institute their own public options under the ACA).

Stop with the ballot questions already. Ballot issues are what is wrong with our current system with regard to states. Witness California. We have a representative form of government in this country, not a direct democracy. Thank god, because it's bad enough with elected officials. The general populace will pass any kind of mishegas they don't even understand, and the consequences are often dire.

I hate hate hate ballot initiatives.

[blondeatlast]

7. "Stop with the ballot questions already." A-effin'-men. We need an education campaign

against them but where to get the resources for one?

The questions on the AZ 2010 ballot would curl your shorties--including one to eliminate "racial preference."

I love my state, but hate the people. :mad:

[Unvanguard]

6. Yes. That's a decent idea. n/t

[Ozymanithrax]

8. Only 24 states have some form of public initiative...

so, at best, you could only get a public option in 24 states.

That is assume they would pass, which considering my experience with California's initiatives is not at all definite. Elections in individual states can not set up federal programs. And I am not confident that even California would pass the bill. So a few states might get some for of public option.

But this may be the way to go. It can not hurt to try.

[Bluenorthwest]

9. We can do it in our State houses...

There is a provision in the reform bill which Ron Wyden managed to get into the bill which allows States to waiver out of the national program is they come up with something better. Here is a link to a pretty good article about the state of the public option in Oregon with much information useful to all.
http://www.eugeneweekly.com/2010/09/23/news1.html

[defendandprotect]

10. Yes ... great idea - would be an interesting goal for liberals/progressives state wide ...!!

Let's see how California does this Novemember --

it would at least mean that corporations would have to fight in 50 states rather

than one at a time!!

[defendandprotect]

11. Also want to agree re "Legalizing Marijuana" ... Drug War reality should be kicking in

with Americans about now --

We can have violence worsening in all of our states -- or we can do something sane!!

Violent concepts like "Drug Wars" only benefit the right wing and their agenda!

[Recursion]

12. Sadly, it would have turned in to Medicaid 2

And it would be underfunded and way too expensive.