Nate Silver: Obama, Democrats Flunking Health Care Sales Pitch

[rhombus]

Nate from FiveThirtyEight.com hits the nail on the head with regards to the healthcare messaging from our side:

The one thing that might have sent things down a different course is if President Obama had tried to preempt the negotiations by taking a more hands-on approach and placing a particular bill before the Congress. I had thought this was a good idea, although the Beltway conventional wisdom would disagree, and there would certainly be risks to the White House in trying to loop the Congress out of the process. We'll probably never know who was right. But given that the White House didn't take that course, everything that has proceeded since has been fairly normal.

There are also debates about health care, however, taking place outside of Washington, in living rooms and convention halls and bowling alleys all across America. These debates will come to take on more import as members of Congress return home for the August recess and begin to speak with their constituents. I do not think the Democrats have been holding their ground in these sorts of debates. In fact, I think they are losing them rather badly.

More -- http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/2009/07/obama-democrats-flunking-health-care.html


I think the Obama team has been generally 'slow' in framing debates. This was evident when they got hit by McCain's Paris Hilton attack last summer and they were caught off guard. Team Obama unfortunately has the tendency to choose to learn the hard way particularly on messaging and framing, but they have got one thing going for them as well -- they learn pretty fast and adjust course when it's required.

I see them doing a much better job framing the health care debate now in the homestretch.

[Autumn]

1. I agree, The republicans are

doing a much better job of selling theirs , of course they have a lot of help from the blue dogs.

[SemiCharmedQuark]

2. And the media, and they have "fear of the unknown" on their side.

Democrats need to step it up.

[Laelth]

3. Obama learned from Clinton.

Throwing out a proposal with specifics just gives the opposition a longer period of time to attack it. Obama's style is to set broad objectives, let the Congress come up with the specifics, and then pay careful attention to what he actually can get done from monitoring the Congressional sausage-making. Once Congress is in the reconciliation phase, Obama privately makes clear what he will and will not accept. He pressures Congress to make the changes he wants, and then he gets the bill rammed through in three or four days.

He doesn't show his cards. Clinton did, and that prevented him from being able to do anything substantial (except cave to Republicans on the big issues).

I have no problem with Obama's style. I do not think it would be wise for him to propose a specific plan.

:dem:

-Laelth

[uponit7771]

6. Yeap, benefit of having a policy wonk as president

[HopeOverFear]

8. Wow, good analysis

[TomCADem]

4. Totally Disagree - See Attached LA Times Article - There Is No Magical Media Strategy

The LA Times article that is attached explains why it is a mistake to think that some magical message or talking point will win the day:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x8558753

[uponit7771]

5. I say more DNC than Obama, it's crazy that he, Dean and a few others are face people for this

...relative to others who should be putting their mugs on TV

[Thrill]

7. Ummmm. There are no Democrats out there helping sell Obama's plans

Especially not the public option. There scared to even mention it.

Same way with the closing of Gitmo. Obama out there by himself.

Obama isn't slow framing the debate. Republicans in Congress attack and the Democrats aren't responding for Obama. When is the last time you saw Feingold out there pushing the public option? You know everyones favorite so called liberal Senator?

[SpartanDem]

9. There are some but not enough

the biggest problem is the lack of a consistent message from Congress. You have assholes like Baucus, Conrad and the blue dogs regularly undercutting his message

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

10. That was an interesting read with concrete suggestions

that reflects a lot of the discussions on this board.