Reply #184: It is good that we can have conversation... [View All]

[Hansel]

I can understand that you don't think Obama supported the public option, but I really don't believe he was lying about it and that is what I would have to think if I came to the conclusion that he didn't. I really think he just didn't get the support from the troops, sort of speak, that he thought he would could get. I think we could have pressured that last few votes for it and I still think it will be done. I think it is a fight that will be revisited if we do not get completely trounced in the mid-term elections.

I'm not sure how the deal with big pharma impacted not getting a public option. The public option would have impacted the insurance companies more than big pharma I would think. You could be right, but I don't have full faith in some of the reporting on this either. Obama has always said he would bring all of the parties into the room and I think that is what he is doing.

I know there are a lot of people on the board who think he is also in bed with the banks. I work at a bank and can guarantee you that he is not. They do not love Obama in any way, shape or manner. He is seen as a threat. So when I read stuff about him being a corporatist and in bed with Wall Street it makes me laugh. I have worked for financial institutions about half of my career and I can tell you that it was completely different than when the Bush's were in office as to how the banks feel about them. They loves them some pliable Republicans and they most definitely do not, in any manner, support Obama as some on this board would have us believe. I know that for a fact.

When I say incremental change I don't mean tiny change. I mean like when he got HCR passed. That is a huge 1st step because now the government's involvement in HCR has been accepted as being a reality (whether the right wingers want to believe that or not). We no longer have to use the energy just to get it to be a reality. Now we can use our energy to improve upon it. We have our foot in the door. NOW is the time to go after the public option and the improvements we want to see. Instead of worrying about what we didn't get, we need to get Democrats elected that will get us what we want.

I was not happy with Obama on either the choice issue or the off shore drilling. But I do believe that, specifically on the off shore drilling, that he was trying to buy time. Because in time it will be a moot point. If he could give up that issue, while increasing regulation on it, it would buy the time needed to develop new alternative energy sources while gaining support for funding it from some of the centrists. The choice thing, though, I agree with you just pissed me off. He's definitely not perfect. But I think he's far from horrible.