Professional astroturfer and all-round super-genius Josh Marshall puts on the ol' thinking cap and decides the real problem is we're just too damned stupid to understand the 'public option':
Nate Silver wrote a post last night flagging an AARP poll, the upshot of which is that Americans don't seem to have any idea what the 'public option' even is. As Silver notes, the fact that only 37% of respondents correctly identified what the 'public option' was, and the fact that respondents were only given three options, shows that random guessing would have produced pretty much the same result.
As I said yesterday, the fact that 'public option' is so un-descriptive and opaque has only made it easier for Republicans to portray it as some sort of program for mass euthanasia. So I'm not sure what there is to say here or do but laugh because the only other thing to do is cry.
But it does make you wonder why Democrats go into these political battles with dopey wonk-speak when Republicans are coming up with stuff like "death panels", which, despite being a complete fantasy, does tend to focus the attention.
What a dickweed.
Perhaps Nancy Pelosi could get the house bill down to two and half pages... And written in crayon? Then we might be able to understand it.
Wait. I know! Pictures! Draw us pictures! In crayon!
No... Even better: Hand puppets! Hand puppets made out of tube socks!
You just don't get it, Josh. Nobody understands the 'public option' because between Obama, Pelosi, Baucus, Reid and Conrad, nobody can get a straight answer about anything. If the White House and Congressional Democrats can't agree on anything related to health care, er, insurance, er, whatever the fuck it is today reform for ten minutes at a stretch, is it any wonder people are a tad confused?
Who the fuck needs to trot out Un-American lies and propaganda about the 'public option' with that going on?
And not even bothering to read the bill(s) in the first place? That's weapons grade stupidity, certain to cause confusion with people who do read the bill.
Posted by: JeffS | August 28, 2009 at 10:53 PM
I wonder how long it would actually take to read 1100 pages of legal gobbledygook...
and that wouldn't include any transparent, last minute, 300 page additions!
Posted by: just passin by | August 29, 2009 at 06:09 AM
jpb,
If it does get passed,it will spend its life going through the courts for clarification.Parts will end up with the Supreme Court where more creative interpretation will be added.
This will keep lawyers in work for a lifetime.
Posted by: PeterUK | August 29, 2009 at 06:53 AM
The hand puppet idea is perfect. But I doubt they're capable of pulling it off.
Posted by: Uncle Fester | August 29, 2009 at 10:45 PM