The Democrats had better not pussy out on health care reform just because vitriolic rednecks are calling them pinkos. Those vitriolic rednecks are your constituents, too, buddy, so you had better give them what they want. But first you had better tell them what they want.
See, we all want (or rather not want) the same thing, really — to not have a lack of quality health care and to not lose our shirts via bankruptcy/taxes/what-have-you. But to win the hearts that are still beating wildly from eight years of right-wing/hawk fantasy threats, it’s really not going to do you any good to use your “big-city words” or to mention that the last America had a balanced national budget was under the (furtively whispered) C-L-I-N-T-O-N.
However, for Dems to properly address the concerns of “Real Americans” with regards to health care, they may actually have to use a few of those big words, and maybe even some graphs and charts. I’m thinking that a Powerpoint presentation featuring free-roaming mustang animations for the blue states and Fudgie the Budget Bird for the red states may be in order. For now, I’m just going to share with you the simple letter I wrote to my Congresswoman:
Dear Congresswoman Velazquez:
Thank you for your service to our community. I am writing to urge you to pass legislation to reform health care. I agree with the need for a public option, as I, like many people I know, cannot afford health care. However, more pressing is the need to regulate the industry. It is run so poorly and inefficiently that costs have increased exponentially over the past decade. I agree with the President that information systems need to be streamlined and that preventative health care are priorities. Medicare and Medicade comprise an enormous part of our government’s budget: if we are unable to make medical care more efficient, my generation (I am 32) and the following ones will be left with crippling debts and deficits to pay for.Perhaps with the example of an efficient, well-run government health option, the medical industry will be forced to provide their customers with the non-extortive, truly healing services that every human being deserves. The economic collapse caused by the real estate fall-out last year was due to an industry left to run wild, preying upon customers who trusted them with their money. We put our money and our very lives into the hands of the health care industry, and we put our trust in our government to make sure that we are treated fairly and with dignity. For a long time now, things have been unjust for many Americans, and our dignity has been undermined by a monsterous industry with an appallingly bad business model, which is slowly bleeding the stability of our economy dry. It is time to change this, and with your support, you can be sure to receive my vote in the next election.
I wish all the best to you and your family. May all of your challenges be met with courage and rewarded with success.
Many thanks,
Susan Norton
Did you notice how I used the words “fair,” “just,” and “dignity?” I read the post about propaganda. I’m not ashamed.
The Bush administration had some of the most astonishingly awesome marketing techniques I have ever seen. Jon Stewart commented about this the other night, and about how the Democrats need to streamline and simplify their messages on health care reform. Recently, to take emphasis away from that commie “government option” part of the legislation, supporters have tried to point out that providing health services is not the only issue. It’s not. But it is a solution to a very real and very bad problem. So Dems, please, say that.
For all my sardonic-ness, I respect the American public and find us mostly reasonable when we’re not drunk out of our minds on advertisements. However, some of us are still hung over from unending shots of Bush’s snake-oil. [Ed's Note: it started waaaaaay before Bush.] So please, Democrats, let the conservatives know that this legislation is indeed about what is so precious to their Home, their Family, and God:
Money.
Here’s where you find the contact info for your representative:
https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml
[Ed's Note, Part II: Still planning on writing an essay about how Obama has utterly failed to use his mandate and unprecedented political capital to pass meaningful health care reform. As a political game theorist, I no longer even care about the outcome — I'm just appalled by the poor maneuvering and waste of strategic resources. Stay tuned.]
