The Dems have only themselves to blame for the proliferation of Republicanoid zombies

[Lydia Leftcoast]

43. So, you admit that health care reform it didn't go far enough?

And it didn't go far enough because Obama BEGAN by watering it down. That is piss-poor negotiating.

You always start negotiating by stating more than you really want. You don't say, "We'd like to have some health care reform, if it's all right with you corporate stooges in the Blue Dog caucus."

You START by saying, "We're going to institute single-payer health care." You take all your worshipful campaign volunteers and send them out to campaign for single payer health care with the same zeal that got you elected. You create a plan that eliminates private insurance and explain it in five bullet points. (I can explain the Canadian, British, Japanese, and German health care systems in five bullet points. Can you do that with the Obama plan? If so, why didn't anyone do that? Why was the content of the initial proposal kept secret so that the Republicans could make up lies about it?) You get all the Progressive Caucus types to go on TV and tout it. You bring in Canadian doctors and Canadian citizens and Canadian politicians (and maybe some from other countries as well) to tell their stories of the medical care they received. You say, "Just think. You'll never have to argue with an insurance company again." You tell the Blue Dogs, "Vote against this, and you can forget about any campaign help from the party."

Then, if you have to bargain away single-payer and end up with a public option or Medicare buy-in (which is your line in the sand), you say, "Remember who prevented you from enjoying the same benefits as people in the rest of the world. But hey, at least I got Medicare coverage for everyone over 60, and it will be lowered to 55 next year and 50 after that."

Something like that would be simple and would immediately affect a large swath of people. Everyone would know someone who was now eligible for Medicare.

People will naturally be suspicious of something that is not explained to them, especially if the major provisions don't come into effect till 2014 and then require them to spend money that they may not have.

As I said, lousy PR. Lousy strategizing.