A hint for political candidates everywhere

October 20, 2005

A decade ago, things didn’t quite work out for the Clinton White House when it launched an initiative to reform the nation’s health care system. The public, Republicans said, just won’t accept a liberal approach to health care. (Whether the Clinton plan was really liberal or not was largely irrelevant.)

More than 10 years later, evidence still shows how wrong the right is on this issue. A new poll published by the Wall Street Journal shows remarkable support for a progressive health care agenda.

The results of the poll (which are available to non-subscribers) should be a big hint to policy makers and candidates about where the public is when it comes to these issues.

* Universal health insurance — Support is overwhelming for universal insurance, with 75% supporting it and only 7% opposed.

* Medicare — 96% support it. When one compares “strongly support” vs. “strongly oppose,” it’s 80% to 1%. The numbers were nearly identical for Medicaid.

* Embryonic stem cell research — 70% support it, 19% oppose it.

* Sexual health — Americans strongly approve of the use of contraception (93% to 4%), sex education in high school (87% to 10%), funding of international HIV prevention and treatment programs (87% to 10%), funding of international birth control programs (70% to 21%), and even abortion centers (63% to 32%).

I would have guessed pretty strong support for these policies, but these results are really one sided.

Granted, the questions seemed to approach the issues in a very general way. “Universal health care” wasn’t defined (single payer? vouchers?), and the results may differ once details such as cost enter the picture. The poll also doesn’t tell us where health care falls among voters’ list of priorities.

Nevertheless, when it comes to politics, Dems in particular should take note of these poll results and embrace a progressive vision — with both arms.

Clinton made the mistake of waiting for the press and public to embrace a good proposal, and what happened was propaganda from the right-wing and insurance companies.

A centrist, progressive policy agenda would be popular, if it could be proposed in a respectful and principled public discourse. That’s a big “if.”

My perception is that a lot of Democrats, including the Congressional leadership, spend a lot of time waiting and listening to the Washington pundits. They are like New Guinea cargo cultists, waiting for their ship to come in, or in this case, waiting for praise from the liberal media.

Reality is that the corporate, right-wing media will whitewater and swiftboat any Democrat aspiring to power, and will shut down the public discourse, before progressive taxation or anything progressive taxation might finance, can be discussed.

When Democrats are ready and willing to treat the broadcast media like the Bastille on July 13, I will be encouraged. The Democrats do not need a radical agenda, but they do need to recognize that revolutionary change is needed, in regard to certain institutions.

If Democrats do not “overthrow” the corporate right-wing media, their sojurn in power in the wake of Bush’s collapse will be just long enough for them to be blamed for Bush’s failures. The Democrats will be blamed for losing in Iraq, because they finally get us out of there. The Democrats will be blamed for raising taxes, etc.

  • Those poll results are very reassuring.

    Corporate control of the media aside, the public still seems to manage to arrive at reasonable (even surprisingly enthusiastic) wisdom.

    I think Clinton’s primary mistake was running the proposals througha lot of closed door sessions (had they all been held in the White House rather than around the country it would’ve seemed like Enron’s energy meetings). The public was suspicious; it was easy for the drugs industry and the wing nuts to fill the void.

    When are we going to learn that openness is a good thing? That people generally mean well if you give them even half a chance?

  • What Bruce said!

    Also, will the media conglomerates let an honest debate about healthcare happen, now that they’re getting BAZILLIONS from drug marketing?

    The Bastille is that-a-way. Get your pitchfork.

  • Reading things like this make me wish I was in charge of the Dem. Party. Often before I go to sleep at night I wish that I was in Charge so I could show the Country Just how wrong the right is…
    Sigh
    Steve

  • It’s a good thing we have a system that ensures the will of the people will be accurately represented by the fairly elected government.

  • One of my favorite subjects, universal health
    insurance. I was gung-ho for it, even during
    my pre-retirement career as chief actuary
    for a nationwide life and health insurer. And
    the industry would welcome it, as long as
    they weren’t cut out as a player, in favor
    of a single payer, nationalized insurance
    system. You think they don’t want 50 million
    more customers?

    But the broader issue is what’s right for
    the country and for the people. I have a
    feeling that many of the progressive ideals
    would score just as highly with the public
    at large.

    So why are most of the Democrats sitting
    around wringing their hands and praying
    that the neocon stranglehold on this country
    will collapse under the weight of its corruptive
    and empty leadership? Instead of doing
    something about it?

    Why don’t they go out and offer the American
    people what they are screaming for, and
    while they’re at it, why don’t they learn how
    to promote, market and fight for what’s
    right, for Chris sakes?

    This is a really politically savvy group here,
    so explain to me why the Dems are so
    listless, spineless, effete and just
    plain chickenshit.

  • The thing I heard about the Clinton ‘failure’ was that Republicans and Conservatives were afraid of it. I may have had some flaws but fundamentally would have worked. BIll Kristol made a BIG STINK and the rest is history.

  • I think you are all out of your minds. Who do you think is going to pay for this universal healthcare? Every year, businesses pay fewer and fewer taxes. The rich aren’t picking up their share and given the push for “tax reform”, they’re going to pay even less.

    Remember the prescription drug bill? The government is not allowed to negotiate prices with the drug companies.

    Universal healthcare is a big business scam. The companies want to dump the costs on the taxpayer.

    In New York State, $4 billion a year is stolen from the medicaid bill and AG Elliot Spizer has done nothing to stop it.

    Mark my words, you will end up with mediocre and substandard healthcare. The rich will have private care and won’t give a hoot. Keep business on the hook for as long as possible or else there is no incentive for anyone to control costs or provide quality care.

    Look around you. The government is riddled with corruption. The IRS is a shell. I know because I have deliberately not filed returns to see what would happen. Now, I don’t owe any money, just the reverse. Five years later, the IRS sends the occasional notice to file or else. Or else nothing is what happens.

    Every tax cheat in the country knows about the IRS. Only the honest people don’t what is going on. And, if by chance, you do get caught, the IRS negotiates a reduced settlement. Create your own tax rate! The folks at the IRS don’t like it but their hands are tied. Charlie Rossetti, the former IRS commissioner, on his way out the door, told everyone through the NYT what was wrong but did anyone listen? Noooo… To shut him up, the Carlyle Group hired him. That should tell you something right there.

    The DOJ has been investigating Enron for four years. Enron was only in existence for fifteen years. I’m an auditor and I know that Enron siphoned off huge amounts of cash in its last year of existence, 2001. One way was by phony energy trading. J. P. Morgan loaned at least $1 billion to Enron in October 2001 when J P Morgan knew Enron was going out of business. But you have to look at J. P. Morgan’s Texas regional board of advisors to know why the loan was made. Williams has a seat on the board and is a Tradespark partner, for example.

    Tradespark is a partnership made up of eight energy companies and managed by Cantor Fitzgerald. Tradespark announced record number of trades in the the fourth quarter of 2001. Enron issued a press release at the end of October 2001, also announcing a record number of trades. A bond trader I know confirmed that the two companies would have done business together.

    I can’t confirm it but I’d bet the rent that money was siphoned from Enron to Tradespark to the energy companies which are all in Texas or thereabouts. The DOJ knows for sure but Texans control the White House. Those Texans look out for each other. Remember, James Baker and other Houstonians had the Defense of Houston website up by 9/16/01, complete with a section devoted bioterrorism.

    You simply cannot entrust the health care of this nation to a government in which every safeguard against corruption is being systematically dismantled and every agency is stuffed with patronage appointees. FEMA, anyone?

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