To the extent my opinions matter, and it’s not much of an extent, I agree with those in the let’s-take-what-we-can-salvage-and-quit camp on HCR, because there’sa few decent pieces left. Do I think that’s realistic? Yeah, you know why? Because it’s the only fucking option we’re going to get.
An important symbolic corner’s been turned here. The idea that what we voters —the ones who sent these guys up to the show — really want, really think, hasobviously already been devalued.
It’s sorta weird, really, because on most subjects it’s the first thing
they think of, both about the policy itself and the myriad imaginary
attack ads that can be run based on the policy. If voters don’t like
this thing, it’ll likely be repealed before most of it even takes
effect, either because Republicans take over or because frightened
members of a Dem controlled Congress do so. Sure, there’s the
optimistic view that it could be “made better” instead of repealed, but
I’m not really feeling all that hopey.
The POTUS can say, with a straight face, that we all just misunderstood what we all fucking saw with our own eyes.
“Nowhere has there been a bigger gap between the perceptions of
compromise and the realities of compromise than in the health-care
bill,” Obama said. “Every single criteria for reform I put forward is
in this bill.”
Whoever he’s talking to there, it’s not us.
Say what you will about White House advisors, they aren’t stupid. They knew, the POTUS knew, that when he said he didn’t campaign on the public option, that the claim could, and would, be instantly countered.
And that just doesn’t matter to them.
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