"Timid", and why it's relevant (Daily Show comment from Jon Stewart)

[SoCalDem]

Everyone who was not a rich kid, understands the "feeling".

I'm not talking about the proverbial "pony" here.

Most kids KNEW they were NEVER really gonna get a pony, but it was never really all that unreasonable to hope for and to ask for things that "other kids just like you" had.

For rich kids, it was never a problem to be the trend-setters..the ones with Keds, when the rest of us had to get by with Skips. (Montgomery Wards' brand)

The "other kids" now (Europe, Canada & most other civilized countries) HAVE what we want & expect in a health-care program, so we know it's possible. They are not all that "rich" and THEY have it. We want it too. It's just that simple.

If your parents showed you brochures for Disneyland, and talked about taking you there, and then all you got was a weekend of tailgating at a KOA campground, wouldn't you be justified in calling your vacation "timid"?

[countrydad58]

1. Nailed it!

[NYC Liberal]

2. Re: Disneyland

I think it's more like:

You live in New York. Your parents say you're going on a vacation -- to Disneyland! They tell you all about the rides and the fun stuff you're going to get to do there. You check out the brochures, look at pictures, etc. And then the day finally comes when you set off for Disneyland. But since you're driving, it's going to take a little while to get there; you have to drive across the country. It's a long distance. The car can only go so fast. There are speed limits.

Now, some kids might ask every five minutes, "Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Why aren't we there yet? How much longer? I wanna get to Disneyland! Are we there yet?"

Other kids might occasionally ask how much there is left to go, but understand that it's a long way, it's going to take some time, the car can only go so fast, etc., but trust that mom and dad will get them there.

[Hannah Bell]

4. no, actually, it's nothing like that at all, & citizens aren't "kids" in a car driven by "mom & dad"

the grownups whom we're supposed to trust to "get us there".

i think that's about the most condescending little story i've heard in some time.

[CTLawGuy]

6. well then they were never

kids who were promised a Disneyworld vacation either...

[SoCalDem]

9. showing brochures & talking about...not exactly a "promise"

but it's not hard for a kid to take that leap of faith and HOPE that Disneyland is the "plan"..and it's also not hard to see how disappointment would be the end-result. A weekend away at a campground, may be what the family can afford, and if that's the case, the kids should not have been shown the brochures in the first place.

[CTLawGuy]

5. excellent!

nt

[ThomCat]

7. Unfortunately, Obama keeps getting out of the car.

and when he is in the car, he's not sure which direction to drive in.

The military tells him Disney land is in one direction. We tell him it's in another direction. He's say's he's following our directions, but he seems to be following theirs.

Meanwhile, He has a GPS system on auto-navigate, courtesy of the DoJ. And it seems to be setting still a third course.

So we don't know for sure which set of directions we're following to get to Disney. We're in the back seat, you see. But we're supposed to be sure we'll get there eventually. Eventually. Yup, that word eventually.

But eventually isn't going to cut it anymore. This trip has already taken too damned long. The vacation is almost over. We had best get there now! Or else things are going to start getting unpleasant in this car.

[SoCalDem]

8. And health care IS a life & death issue for people

Someone who happens to be "not wealthy" ,and who also happens to be ill, does not have YEARS to wait around.

I would rather that politicians actually just say it out loud.

Our country's priorities are NOT the same as the citizens'. We have chosen to NOT "afford" health care for everyone.. We choose to spend your tax money on OTHER things.

[tavalon]

3. I wanted Jon to say two words with a question mark after

Public Option?

Otherwise that was a really enlightening interview.

[SoCalDem]

10. I was hoping Jon would "go there" too, but then

the very words "public option" are rather meaningless, because there was always such a wide open nature to the interpretation. Public option vs medicare for all or true national health care for all, is a tepid foot-in-the-door. In retrospect it "could have" led to more, but with elections every 2 years, almost anything done half-way is sure to be tweaked to death:(

Like most of what our congress does, half-assed solutions are often worse than nothing at all, because they are often written with built-in loopholes big enough to drive an 18-wheeler through.