What if ... Obama never proposed healthcare reform in the first place?

[ieoeja]

But did propose the following four bills:

1. provide a medicare buy-in for ages 55-64,
2. provide subsidies to the poor for the purchase of healthcare,
3. require medical insurers to cover pre-existing conditions, and
4. create a government owned health insurance plan, with rates and coverage set by the government, and day-to-day management of the new plan outsourced to existing insurers so the government would not have to create a new department just to run it.

-----------------------------

No fair playing "what if" without addressing the scenario myself. So here's my response....

A - They would never get through the Senate. Republicans and the handful of Conservative Democrats would filibuster all four of these bills to death.

B - Progressives, while claiming these bills are barely the beginning of what needs to be done -- anything short of national healthcare is, after all, treating the symptoms, not the disease -- would be pushing furiously for the passage of these four bills. And if they somehow did pass, they would hail Obama a miracle worker.

[Andy823]

1. Good points.

I agree with you on this, these things would never have gotten passed. I know that there are many things that I myself would have liked to have seen in the bill, and things that others would have liked to see, but this is a stat, and without a start of some kind we would be in the same boat we have been in for years and years. If congress can pass the bill they have worked out now, they can build on that in the future. We may never see everything we want, but then again if we get some kind of improvement now, and some more later on down the road, who knows what the future may bring.

[freddie mertz]

2. It might have been a better strategy.

His performance on this issue has been so bad up to now, almost anything would have been preferable.

[tabatha]

4. It is NOT his job to perform.

Bill Clinton "performed" very well, and lost.

[freddie mertz]

6. He lost healthcare and won re-election.

We'll see how this plays out.

I think Obama has done a poor job on HCR up to this point.

[ieoeja]

9. So you are more concerned with Obama's re-election than people's healthcare?

I, on the other hand, would be thrilled if Obama got Congress to enact a law that included both full-blown national healthcare and Obama's resignation effective the same date.

[freddie mertz]

11. No. I am concerned with both. Getting good HCR legislation will help people

I've actively supported single-payer for 40 years, as did my father in his work with the Kennedys.

I also think that the Democrats passing good legislation that helps people will help elect Democrats.

Passing crap or failing to pass good legislation hurts everyone.

[tabatha]

13. Yes, Obama said he is prepared to lose over this.

[tabatha]

12. Clinton lost control of the house and senate because of HCR

and started the ball rolling down the hill to where we are now.

His second term was also a joke - he could not get anything done because of impeachment, which eventually resulted in Bush winning.

Your analysis of cause and effect is stunning.

[freddie mertz]

15. I posted no analysis. My worry is that this could happen again. nt.

[derby378]

3. I noticed that a mandate for individual coverage is missing from your list

Do you feel that the individual mandate was a bad idea all along?

[ieoeja]

8. Good point. There is a "bill" I would have opposed all the way. (nt)

[tabatha]

5. I was thinking along these lines last night.

I am waiting for the outcome, before saying what I think really happened.

[impik]

7. Naaaa. They would find a way to kick him in the balls

The knee-jerk reactions from "Progressives" (who apparently are against "progress") gets more and more ridiculous by the day. It's this desperation and skepticism and constant-bitterness over EVERYTHING. At this point, i find it beyond surreal.

[Whisp]

10. agreed heartily

the whining is unbearable. I swear its' just as loud as the RW whine. maaaa, i want it NOW! you corporatist whore you. you do nothing lazy ass. you are bush are the saaaaaaaame! whaaaaaaaaaa!

unfuckingbearable

[tabatha]

14. Yep, unbelievable.

It seems as though the entire nation, left and right, has become a bunch of emotional responses.