Health Debate Care Update: Explaining the Democratic Left to the White House

Ronald Bailey | August 19, 2009

The leftwing of the Democratic Party has erupted in fury in reaction to President Barack Obama's apparent waffling over the proposal to create a government run health insurance scheme. White House denizens affect to be mystified by the backlash. As the Washington Post reports: 

"I don't understand why the left of the left has decided that this is their Waterloo," said a senior White House adviser, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. "We've gotten to this point where health care on the left is determined by the breadth of the public option. I don't understand how that has become the measure of whether what we achieve is health-care reform."

"It's a mystifying thing," he added.

Well, in this one instance, let me help the White House out: the creation of a government run health insurance scheme has always been seen by the leftwing as the thin edge of the wedge that would eventually lead to a complete government takeover (can you say, "single payer"?) of health care. Taking away the "public option" means that the leftwing dream of establishing a nationalized health care system is delayed yet again. Got it now? 

Comments

<strike>strike through</strike|8.19.09 @ 9:59AM|#

The leftwing of the Democratic Party...

...is somewhat redundant. But the fact that the White House is shocked (yes, shocked!) that there are socialists in the party is comical.

|8.19.09 @ 10:12AM|#

Well, imagine it: you think you've crushed your enemies, taken the senate, the house, and the presidency, and you still can't get shit done. Has to be immensely frustrating.

|8.19.09 @ 10:14AM|#

So what you are saying Mr. Bailey is that it's the extremists on the far left that want socialized medicine, not president Obama or the democrats in general. Thank you for your support.

Art-P.O.G.|8.19.09 @ 10:16AM|#

Well, imagine it: you think you've crushed your enemies, taken the senate, the house, and the presidency, and you still can't get shit done.

For the fifth time in my adult life, I'm proud to be American.

Fist of Etiquette|8.19.09 @ 10:17AM|#

Bless their hearts, the Administration is just too precious. It's a shame their innocence is being shattered by all the ugly divisiveness in this harsh world. I just wish I could hold them close and protect them from it forever!

Mike M.|8.19.09 @ 10:21AM|#

Well, imagine it: you think you've crushed your enemies, taken the senate, the house, and the presidency, and you still can't get shit done. Has to be immensely frustrating.

Yeah, they truly believed they had a mandate to do whatever they want, and now they're discovering that they really don't, because the election was never a pro-socialism vote, it was about giving sorry-ass George Bush and the worthless Republican party a lesson.

Abdul|8.19.09 @ 10:36AM|#

Well, imagine it: you think you've crushed your enemies, taken the senate, the house, and the presidency, and you still can't get shit done.

Crushing your enemies and driving them before you without hearing the lamentations of their women is pretty anti-climatic.

JB|8.19.09 @ 10:49AM|#

Shorter: Leftists are socialists or communists and want all government, all-the-time, in every orifice.

And they are too stupid to realize they can move and find socialism and communism in plenty of countries.

bubba|8.19.09 @ 10:52AM|#

I burned through all my political capital and all I got was a little more coverage for pre-existing conditions.

Assurances Maladies|8.19.09 @ 11:01AM|#

"Has to be immensely frustrating."

c'est la vie.

hmm|8.19.09 @ 11:11AM|#

It looks like some Democrats are doing an excellent job of explaining their wanting to take over all of healthcare.

This video also shows that Joe isn't the sharpest knife in the box.

|8.19.09 @ 11:23AM|#

Ron
Even though the public option is the path to the holy grail of single-payer, I'm mystified as to why Reason is not paying more attention to the extremely heavy-handed regulation that is included in the bill, which, even by removing the public option, would be disastrous.
Hennessy covers it here succinctly
http://keithhennessey.com/2009/08/14/debating-the-presidents-portsmouth-pitch/

Look at point 10 especially.

|8.19.09 @ 11:24AM|#

the tail is wagging the dog.

|8.19.09 @ 5:37PM|#

Another fallacious and persistent argument from the left is that 46 million Americans (grossly rounded up to 1-in-6) are uninsured, with the implicit understanding that they need assistance from the taxpayer.

This blog (with simple graphs) shreds that argument.

http://keithhennessey.com/2009/04/09/how-many-uninsured-people-need-additional-help-from-taxpayers/

Ebeneezer Scrooge|8.20.09 @ 1:02AM|#

Shorter: Leftists are socialists or communists and want all government, all-the-time, in every orifice.

And they are too stupid to realize they can move and find socialism and communism in plenty of countries.

No, it's not that they're too stupid to realize it. It's that like Alexander the Great, they are acutely aware that several square inches of globe remains unconquered.

And that's really annoying. But unfortunately history is repeating itself here, several thousand years later. If only Alexander's army had not revolted and insisted on finally going back home, who knows how much more of the globe might have fallen (temporarily) under the Greek yoke.


Which is why I've always found it curious that so many people bash religion, especially the "Religious Right" in this country. There are so many other ideologies that exhibit exactly the same general properties.....like for example, the Liberal Left.

Side note: if you're ever in the mood to piss off a liberal, tell them they've got their own religion too and it's really f***ing boring.