Aug 17 2009
Even Liberals Barely Support Government Run Health Care Option
I was perusing the left wing fevered swamps and noted a lot of crazy reactions to the news Team Obama and the Dems in the Senate are preparing to dump the ‘public option’ of health care reform – a.k.a. government run health care (maybe they could just run it out of spare space in the US Post Offices to save money?). The responses range from the delusional who feel betrayed by Obama (but are being actually betrayed by reality of course, since they have yet to figure out they are a massive minority on this issue), to the delusional who think this is all a slick way to call the liberal/netroots to arms and fight back against the growing wave of rejection.
In all cases, the display of ignorance of America and how things work in America is sadly stunning. Just peruse some of the comments, it really is amazing how many people believe whole heartedly in the mythology of socialism. But, then again, it has been many decades since socialism has demonstrated its ugly path to stagnation and living hell. Time dulls the memory, and romantics can take the most brutal concepts and make them seem worth trying to those who’ve never experienced those concepts in action.
Anyway, I digress. The fact is America has risen up in intense opposition to any government run health care option. The polls have been turning on this idea for weeks now. And to underscore it, one of the commenter in the see of anger on the left noted (bassackwardly of course) that only a slim majority of the most far left fringe actually demand a government run health care option:
The online poll of 252 attendees, which took place Thursday and Friday at the annual gathering of progressive bloggers and activists, found that 48 percent supported Sestak for the Pennsylvania Democratic Senate nomination, compared to just 10 percent who backed Specter.
OK, these numbers clearly indicate this is the left of the left wing inside the Democrat party. So how much support do they have for government run health care:
The straw-poll results showed that progressives are sharply focused on passing comprehensive health care reform, with 60 percent of attendees rating health care reform as one of their top two priorities. Roughly a quarter—23 percent—said they are already personally working to pass reform.
A majority of attendees—53 percent—said they cannot support a health care reform bill that does not include a public option.
That measly 53% number was touted as strong support, but this is the group who should be lock step, do-or-die behind the idea nearly 100%. While not addressing the other side of the equation might fool some true believers into false hope, the poll clearly shows that 47% of the far left IS able to support health care reform without a ‘public option’.
The demand for government run health care disappears when you hit the center-left voters, replaced by serious concern and opposition to the idea. By the time you get to the center right voters there is almost no support and the heated opposition is already at a high level.
There is no support for government run health care. Stick a fork in that idea.
The most amusing part of that poll you referenced – Specter is now as hated on the left as he is hated on the right.
He tried to pretend to be a centrist, but he has only ended up betraying everyone, and a confirmed traitor will never be trusted or believed by anyone again. His time in the Senate is over – he won’t even make it past the primary, and the Pa race will now be between Sestak and Toomey.
I wonder if the fact that he’s committed political suicide has started to sink in yet.
Looks like the WH is trying to keep the public option in but under any name that will work with the American Public.
I would just like to see Congress enact NO bills and repeal most of our bills for the next ten years.
Oh you’re right, Lurker – but now that they’ve signaled retreat, as they did this weekend, all the plan’s opponents can smell blood in the water.
And the confusion in this administration – Sebelius misspoke, no she didn’t, yes she did, Conrad isn’t speaking for the Senate, yes he is, no he isn’t – just signals that no one is in charge and chaos rules the day.
And chaos at the top means we will have 538 Senators and Congressmen all trying to make policy on their own. We know how that movie ends.
Bush’s greatest attribute was that he could pick his goals and rightly or wrongly stick to them no matter what happened. Obama is finding out the weakness and confusion from the top are political death.
Yep, experience matters.
This is why I don’t want government having access to all of my health and financial records.
Also, lurker, the Obama administration said that Sebelius “misspoke”. There is no “retreat” on the public option.
I wouldn’t say there’s “no retreat” crosspatch; there is, and then there isn’t, and then there is, and then there isn’t….
It looks like they are trying to placate all sides all at once and not realizing that everyone finds out instantly that they’re trying to have it both ways. Frankly, it’s the most inept public performance by an administration I’ve ever seen. Even if they try to take it back, they have just greatly encouraged all the opponents who know see that the protests are succeeding, and they have destroyed the aura of inevitability on which this enterprise rested.
This is the core problem with always being willing to cut and run whenever the fighting gets hard – as soon as your enemies realize your true character, you will lose every battle.
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