How the Democrats Should Have Handled the Health Care Debate
Now, let us imagine for a moment a world where the Democrats proceeded from strength. Here is how the health care debate would have unfolded instead.
Cenk Uygur, Huffington Post
It is an axiom of American politics that the Democratic Party will negotiate from a position of weakness and the Republican Party will proceed from strength. The number of seats they hold in Congress is irrelevant to this paradigm. The Republicans could be down to five senators and they would still charge into battle. And the Democrats would, from the outset, assume that the Republicans are right (and mainstream) and that since their own position is too extreme they must concede as soon as possible to remain politically viable. There is no Republican talking point that won't scare the bejesus out of the Democratic Party.
Now, let us imagine for a moment a world where this axiom was not true, a world where the Democrats proceeded from strength. Here is how the health care debate would have unfolded instead.
Related:
This Isn’t Reform, It’s Robbery, Chris Hedges, TruthDig
- Percentage change since 2002 in average premiums paid to large US health-insurance companies: +87%
- Percentage change in the profits of the top ten insurance companies: +428%
- Chances that an American bankrupted by medical bills has health insurance: 7 in 10 — Harper’s Index, September 2009
Why Senate Democrats are giving up so easily on Health Care, Mike Madden, Salon.com
Jeff Bingaman's state needs healthcare reform, yet he is joining Baucus and Conrad to punt on the public option
The left has lost its nerve and its direction, Chris Hedges, Philadelphia Inquirer
If the left wants to regain influence in the nation's political life, it must be willing to walk away from the Democratic Party, even if Barack Obama is the (president), and back progressive, third-party (officials) until the Democrats feel enough heat to adopt our agenda. We must be willing to say no. If not, we become slaves.
