If Democrats ignore health-care polls, midterms will be costly

[Craftsman]

In "The March of Folly," Barbara Tuchman asked, "Why do holders of high office so often act contrary to the way reason points and enlightened self-interest suggests?" Her assessment of self-deception -- "acting according to wish while not allowing oneself to be deflected by the facts" -- captures the conditions that are gripping President Obama and the Democratic Party leadership as they renew their efforts to enact health-care reform.

Their blind persistence in the face of reality threatens to turn this political march of folly into an electoral rout in November. In the wake of the stinging loss in Massachusetts, there was a moment when the president and the Democratic leadership seemed to realize the reality of the health-care situation. Yet like some seductive siren of Greek mythology, the lure of health-care reform has arisen again.

As pollsters to the past two Democratic presidents, Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton, respectively, we feel compelled to challenge the myths that seem to be prevailing in the political discourse and to once again urge a change in course before it is too late. At stake is the kind of mainstream, common-sense Democratic Party that we believe is crucial to the success of the American enterprise.

Bluntly put, this is the political reality:




http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/11/AR2010031102904.html

[yurbud]

1. a couple of good observations before they go off the tracks:

people want reform but they hate this bill.

The public option WAS the key to public support. Without it, this will look like another corporate bailout cooked up in the backroom.

[Craftsman]

2. Bingo.

[Enthusiast]

4. This is what they 'pretend'

they don't know. It appears the Democratic Party will gladly sacrifice seats to enact a HCR bill without a strong public option.

[mbperrin]

3. Single payer universal is the ONLY way to actually provide healthcare

and save money. It's what other industrialized countries are using to kick our asses competitively, make their citizens live longer, and gives better infant survival rates right off the bat.

That WHY it was left off the table at the beginning. Anything else is health INSURANCE regulation. Can't regulate evil. Must destroy it. It's only self-defense.

[cyclezealot]

6. and the Goppers will do a hatchet job on that

and the American people will react to that as they do to the present plan..

[spooky3]

5. Here's an excellent critique of this "dishonest op-ed", from Mediamatters.org:

http://mediamatters.org/blog/201003120030

"Fox News Democrats Pat Caddell and Doug Schoen are very concerned about health care reform

March 12, 2010 12:03 pm ET by Ben Dimiero

Two of Fox News' favorite Democrats published an op-ed in today's Washington Post which purported to warn of the frightening horrors that await Democrats in the upcoming midterm elections if they pass health care reform. What they gave us, however, was an embarrassing display of half-baked analysis that encapsulates so much of what is wrong with the "debate" over health care reform in our media.

Here's the central point of their column:

First, the battle for public opinion has been lost. Comprehensive health care has been lost. If it fails, as appears possible, Democrats will face the brunt of the electorate's reaction. If it passes, however, Democrats will face a far greater calamitous reaction at the polls. Wishing, praying or pretending will not change these outcomes.

While polling numbers for the health care reform bill are certainly not strong as Democrats might hope, as Jon Chait points out in response to Caddell and Schoen, support for the bill has been trending upward. But that's beside the point.

What makes this op-ed so dishonest is that Caddell and Schoen spend the entire column expressing their concern over polling about health care reform without once suggesting that polling numbers may be so low because conservatives (and even self-identified Democrats like Schoen) have spent the last year lying - repeatedly, unabashedly, and without consequence - about health care reform..."

[yurbud]

7. good find