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grufty jim wrote: giantleech wrote: What would have been FAR WORSE for Americans would have been if Obama, the house, and senate Democrats had rammed through legislation with a 'public option' attached, which the majority of Americans DO NOT WANT (any number of polls attest to this fact.)
I've heard others make this point (the polls are against the plan) and it confuses the hell out of me. I paid quite a bit of attention to both Obama's primary camapaign and the presidential election campaign. During both, he spent a lot of time telling the electorate that he would introduce some form of public health care if they elected him. I'm not saying that opinion polls don't indicate a majority against public health care, but until America decides to govern itself using the "representative samples" chosen by media outlets and marketing organisations (which is maybe what you want?) then Obama is surely obliged to at least try and deliver what he so loudly promised in his campaign?
Clearly you disagree with that, giantleech, but could you tell me why? Why do you think Obama should abandon one of the promises that got him elected? Why should opinion polls matter after a general election that was fought as much on this issue as any other?
Why should opinion polls matter after a general election? Is this a serious question? (as Joe Biden might say, "Is this a joke?")
Sorry, but Obama does not get to rule the country like an emperor after winning an election (this is a representitive republic, not a democratic monarchy.) He works for the people of this country and not the other way around. If he wants to forward a legislative agenda, he has to have it pass through the House and Senate (without it being voted down) before signing into law whatever boffo legislation it is he wants to see upon his desk. In the meantime you better believe that the coconuts in congress are sure as hell going to pay attention to what the politically active electorate of this country thinks of such proposed legislation (via constant polling and otherwise), lest they get their asses thrown out of office come election day if they grossly thwart the will of the people they represent.
Obama did not win this election primarily on the issue of the 'promise' of 'public health care.' He won due to a perfect political storm involving the mainstream media's eight year long attack on the Bush administration, the housing market (Democrat policy induced) economic schism, and the sheer novelty of the chance of electing this charismatic demagogue for Pres. And still, with all the forces that lined up against him, McCain still only lost to Obama's win of a measly 52.7 percent of the popular vote. That number demonstrates no mandate of any sort for Obama's left-wing agenda.
I have no objection, per se, with Obama and congress engaging in an attempt at sensible reforms in the health care industy, but this attempt at a governmemt takeover via a 'public option' (to name just one outrage) is way over the line and the people have clearly spoken against it (Obama's support for this agenda is plummeting and the democrats who happen to not be brain dead can see the writing on the wall and are quickly backing away from this toxic legislation.)
I won't say that this defeat will permanently cook Obama's political goose (a lot can and will happen in the next three years), but it will certainly not help him one bit (and thank goodness for that!)
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