Obama on Health Care: Trying Harder but Still More Fluff Than Fact
Posted on 20. Sep, 2009 by James Devere in American Politics, Political Commentary
The comments by White House officials call into question the Administration’s true intentions and their willingness to engage in honest debate. Most of the interviews offered little insight into the healthcare debate. Other than an exchange with George Stephanopoulos, where the definition of “tax” was argued, with the President taking a position at odds with Webster’s Dictionary, the interviews were quite tame. Obama answered similar questions at each stop using the same language that we have heard in multiple healthcare addresses.
One change was that the President did characterize the opposition to the current health care plan more accurately. In an interview with Bob Schieffer on ABC’s Face the Nation, Obama said, “Health care has become a proxy for a broader set of issues about how much government should be involved in our economy.” In this case, he is starting to dial in the nature of what is driving some of the passion on the other side of the debate. His answer to this question, however, shows a disconnect and lack of any true interest in addressing the debate. Obama went on to point out that he has “no interest in increasing the size of government.”
Though the President is beginning to understand ,or at least pay lip service to, the other side of the health care issue, he offers up a defense that is based on trusting his word today against all evidence, past statements, and the stated intentions of those around him. It is a matter of trust and on this point his argument falls well short of the mark. Yes, there are those opposed to healthcare that are concerned with big government, but a few facts would go a long way to change minds. With over 30 speeches and interviews dedicated to health care and a reluctance to explore or even discuss facts, one can only assume that those facts are irreconcilable to his platitudes.
After watching the media blitz, anyone who already supported the current plan would be bolstered by the President’s words, while the opposition is still left with the same unanswered questions. Today did nothing to further the debate and we still do not have concrete answers as to how the plan will be paid for, or what will be the scope of the government’s role in patients’ decisions. The President did score points, however, by remaining above the fray on the accusations of racism that have characterized the debate over the past week. He refused to pander to the base level of either side, and even chastised the media’s roll in contributing to a divisive argument. On this he was a winner; the losers were Nancy Pelosi, a former president, Bob Gibbs, and most of the on-air personalities at MSNBC.
