President Obama's Plan for Health Care: Time to Attack
The news reports today say that support for the president's health care initiative is starting to slip. The "curve is trending downward." With millions of dollars of lobbyist greenbacks flooding into Washington, some commentators are already saying Obama-care could be in mortal danger. After weeks of fruitlessly trying to forge an agreement with Republicans, the White House finally appears to have realized that it must mount an all-out assault to combat those who are trying to sell the argument that health care reform will be too expensive. The country must not be led to believe that it can't afford to have health care reform. It must be led to believe that it can't afford not to. Here's what you must do Mr. President:
Continue to make personal appeals in the media, outlining carefully and simply how the costs of the program will be worth the expense to the nation.
Get away from being the lone voice at the podium. Begin speaking to the country with several groups of key players behind you including: 1)Supporters in the AMA, the nurses' associations, health care workers who understand the industry; 2)Do town hall forums. Present American citizens who can tell personal stories that detail how they have suffered medically, emotionally and financially by having no alternative for health care other than private insurance companies; 3)Present health officials and health care consumers from other industrialized countries that have comprehensive national health care who can address the distortions presented by the opposition regarding rationing of care, long waiting lines and inferior treatment.
Explain to the public that the U.S. GDP is almost three times that of the next biggest country, and is roughly the equivalent of the next four added up (Japan, China, Germany and France.) All of these countries have a national health care system. If they can afford it, why can't we?
Certainly you must continue to make logical and cogent arguments that underscore the value of your proposals to American families and the nation as a whole. But you must do it with more passion, more animation, more anger. You may want to take a cue from your dramatic speech at the 100th anniversary to the NAACP. The future of the country - and of your presidency - is in the balance.
The news reports today say that support for the president's health care initiative is starting to slip. The "curve is trending downward." With millions of dollars of lobbyist greenbacks flooding into Washington, some commentators are already saying Obama-care could be in mortal danger. After weeks of fruitlessly trying to forge an agreement with Republicans, the White House finally appears to have realized that it must mount an all-out assault to combat those who are trying to sell the argument that health care reform will be too expensive. The country must not be led to believe that it can't afford to have health care reform. It must be led to believe that it can't afford not to. Here's what you must do Mr. President:
Continue to make personal appeals in the media, outlining carefully and simply how the costs of the program will be worth the expense to the nation.
Get away from being the lone voice at the podium. Begin speaking to the country with several groups of key players behind you including: 1)Supporters in the AMA, the nurses' associations, health care workers who understand the industry; 2)Do town hall forums. Present American citizens who can tell personal stories that detail how they have suffered medically, emotionally and financially by having no alternative for health care other than private insurance companies; 3)Present health officials and health care consumers from other industrialized countries that have comprehensive national health care who can address the distortions presented by the opposition regarding rationing of care, long waiting lines and inferior treatment.
Explain to the public that the U.S. GDP is almost three times that of the next biggest country, and is roughly the equivalent of the next four added up (Japan, China, Germany and France.) All of these countries have a national health care system. If they can afford it, why can't we?
Certainly you must continue to make logical and cogent arguments that underscore the value of your proposals to American families and the nation as a whole. But you must do it with more passion, more animation, more anger. You may want to take a cue from your dramatic speech at the 100th anniversary to the NAACP. The future of the country - and of your presidency - is in the balance.
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