Surgeon General Gupta: Yea or Nay?

[Colobo]

I vote Yea because the guy is a very well educated and succesful neurosurgeon who is known and respected by millions of Americans- his job will be to act as America's health expert. It's a mediatic job used to raise awareness about things. Apart of that, dude is a capable Indian-American for the job, and diversity is always good. This pick will teach the George "Macaca" Allens of our homeland a lesson on diversity.

What about you? YEA or NAY?

[brucefan]

1. A corporate shill as SG?

NO THANKS.

[jberryhill]

90. He's Obama's shill now /nt

[Alexander]

93. Exactly. He was hired to argue with Moore, now he'll be hired to implement health care.

[leftstreet]

2. What "awareness" raising do you think Americans need?

:shrug:

[Citizen Number 9]

4. Losing some weight comes to mind.

Exercising more and quitting smoking isn't too far behind.

[leftstreet]

6. WOW I bet people never thought of that

:popcorn:

[Colobo]

11. Many Americans trust their TV sets more than their own instincts.

Having Gupta, a man they know, on TV giving people advice on how to stay fit is not a bad idea at all.

[leftstreet]

16. You don't seriously believe what you just said n/t

[beac]

29. I believe that has been his "job" for years now, hasn't it? Being America's #1 teevee doc?

Can't see why they'd listen to him as the SG anymore than they do as a CNN celebrity.

And that's w/o mentioning the disgusting shill-for-Big-Pharma taint upon him.

[Citizen Number 9]

31. That's because their TV doesn't argue back.

Generally speaking, that is.

[ChiciB1]

81. I HAVE To Agree With You... Too Many Americans Don't Know Their Ass

from a hole in the ground UNLESS they hear or see something on MSM, therefore his "personality" will sell!! Having watched him many times, he "seems" to be more moderate than right wing! Might be a "good" calculated pick by Obama because of his TV personality exposure!

This is what too many Americans glom onto for the "news" most of the time! Too much APATHY has been my main bone of contention about John Q. Citizen for far too many years!! Name recognition is what a lot of it is about! He MAY work out, he is quite intelligent for the most part!

We shall see!!!!!

[Citizen Number 9]

30. You don't see much of the general population, do you?

If you did you'd know that education is important.

[leftstreet]

32. Ah...it's because they're not enlightened enough, right?

[Citizen Number 9]

34. Um, no...it's because they need to be educated.

Sorta like a lot of people.

[leftstreet]

39. They. Them. Got it n/t

[Citizen Number 9]

40. That's right. They. Them.

The obese and the smokers and the couch potatoes and even the drinkers, for that matter.

[Donald Ian Rankin]

50. Take a look at the discussions of obesity on DU

Over and over again, one sees posters claiming that the primary reason that they and others are overweight is genetics, not lifestyle.

I think that increasing awareness of the fact that by far the largest factor behind America's obesity epidemic is people eating too much and exercising too little, and that many (probably most, although I don't know that for sure) Americans would lose weight and become healthier if they ate less and exercised more regardless of their genes, is, obvious as it is, sadly necessary.

[leftstreet]

54. Oh, I'm sure Gupta will recommend a Pre$cription for thi$ problem

But lets not 'go there' with the blame-the-people mentality, m'kay?

:eyes:

Jesus Christ I wish they'd make a Limousine Liberal Vaccine

[Donald Ian Rankin]

73. I sincerely hope not.

Drugs and similar are not a good approach to weight loss. I don't know enough about Gupta to know what he'd recommend, but it would severely dent my confidence in him if it were something other than "eat less, exercise more".

And no, I'm afraid that the desire to avoid admitting that the primary reason most overweight people are overweight is their own lifestyle, and to attribute it to circumstances beyond their control, is one of the reasons so many people *are* overweight. "Blaming the people" is a caricature rather than a description, but the position it caricatures is the only possible first step to tackling America's obesity epidemic. "Pre$criptions" are *not* a viable solution. There's nothing "limousine" about that.

[Colobo]

7. Correct.

[bigwillq]

3. Nay

:thumbsdown:

[Crunchy Frog]

5. He acted like a total shithead when he was debating Michael Moore

on universal healthcare. I don't give a flying fuck about his ethnic background, but I do want someone who knows that the current system isn't working and needs to be changed. Let him stay at fucking CNN.

[Starbucks Anarchist]

8. Yea.

[scarletwoman]

9. And lets make Katy Couric head of the FCC!

Big fat NAY. Come on, a TV personality?!? It's bullshit. I'm in no mood to have my intelligence insulted anymore after the last 8 years.

sw

[leftstreet]

10. I'm already advocating Anderson Cooper for head of FEMA

[Starbucks Anarchist]

13. He's a neurosurgeon, for God's sake.

You make him sound like Ryan Seacrest.

[Colobo]

15. Many are mad at Gupta for going after Michael Moore.

[Starbucks Anarchist]

17. No kidding.

God forbid someone attacked St. Moore.

[rufus dog]

58. No

People are mad at him because he went after Micheal Moore with arguments devoid of facts.

So he was either lying, a corporate shill, or fucking stupid.

I for one am done with fucking stupid and lying shills.

[Barack_America]

21. Impressive, but that doesn't make him an expert in Public Health.

Surgery, in general, isn't much of a public health or preventative medicine focused field.

[Starbucks Anarchist]

24. A separate issue.

The poster reduced him to a TV caricature while ignoring his credentials.

[Barack_America]

27. Actually, Couric's credentials for FCC probably are as strong as Gupta's for SG.

Both only have a superficial knowledge of the respective fields. If only the Surgeon General actually had anything to do with surgery, then Gupta would certainly be qualified.

[KittyWampus]

77. except he's been involved with public health. You obviously don't know about his actual career

and like many DU'ers end up sounding foolish.

[Barack_America]

85. Please provide evidence.

Considering you apparently know so much more about his career. Please cite a specific public health issue that he is regarded as knowledgeable about.

Thank you.

[LostinVA]

92. There is none

[scarletwoman]

22. He's a fucking TV personality, for gawd's sake.

Sorry, but between Gupta and Rick Warren, it's beginning to look like the Triumph of the Shallow. The victory of surface over substance. I'm in no mood to put up with this kind of shit.

sw

[Starbucks Anarchist]

25. He appears on TV, but he has an impressive *medical* background.

If appearing on TV is your baseline for dismissing people, NOBODY would be good enough for you.

[scarletwoman]

44. "If appearing on TV is your baseline for dismissing people, NOBODY would be good enough for you."

Wow. That's a truly amazing argument. Apparently only people who appear on TV could possibly be qualified, right?

:eyes:

[Starbucks Anarchist]

46. Good Lord, can you read?

I never said anything of the sort. I said dismissing people just because they've appeared on TV (which many people appear on all the time) is shortsighted and foolish, and NOT that appearing on TV was a qualification in and of itself.

[scarletwoman]

57. Sure I can read. This is what I read:

If appearing on TV is your baseline for dismissing people, NOBODY would be good enough for you.

Here's what I get: If I dismiss those who appear on TV, then I apparently must dismiss everyone -- because if "NOBODY" is good enough for me, it must mean that EVERYONE has appeared on TV.

Right?

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

47. "He's more popular then Britney Spears!"

Yeah, sorry, that argument was dumb when McCain used it, it's dumb now.

"Sorry, but between Gupta and Rick Warren, it's beginning to look like the Triumph of the Shallow"

You know, I was thinking the same sort of thing. But not in the way you use it.

[scarletwoman]

59. Okay, in what way were YOU thinking? I'm interesting in hearing it. (nt)

[KittyWampus]

78. Shallow? That makes you a hypocrite. You base your entire opinion on Gupta on his being on tv.

He has working knowledge of the subjects he talks about. He is qualified to discuss them.

You are the one being shallow.

[scarletwoman]

106. I base my opinion of him on his being a spokesmodel for the status quo medical/pharma establishment.

Which, last time I looked, is raking in a brazillion bucks on convincing people that they need to "talk to your doctor" about getting magic pills for every conceivable insignificant malfunction of their physical and mental states that would easily be corrected if people weren't being fed poison by agri-business.

Eat poison, work harder, and pop more pills to make you make you feel better.

He's a corporate whore.

sw

[beac]

36. He ACTS like Ryan Seacrest and probably has a BIGGER ego.

His zeal for self-promotion has made him a mouthpiece-for-sale for Big Pharma. There are literally THOUSANDS of doctors who would be better for the job.

[LostinVA]

88. Katie does have an excellent education

[Citizen Number 9]

105. And she's kinda cute

but I'm still glad she's a journalist.

[goodhue]

12. NAY!

I'm all for diversity and am a big fan of Indian-Americans, but Gupta is a shameless shyster, a TOOL.

[Avalux]

14. Im still saying yes, even though my sweetie Paul Krugman isn't thrilled.

The position is PR all the way and he will communicate health policy (not make it) to the American people in easy to understand language. I expect a focus on preventative medicine.

We do live in a superficial society and if a handsome TV journalist/doc is what it takes to get short attention span Americans to start paying attention to their health, great.

A thought: if Americans keep eating at the rate they are, everyone will be obese in 50 years.

[Cha]

20. What does Krugman have to say?

I'm hoping Obama has a damn good reason for Gupta and Vilsack whose reality I'm glad I don't live in.

[Avalux]

28. Here -

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=4779242&mesg_id=4779242

[Cha]

51. THAnks.

sparosnare.

[Bluenorthwest]

86. Reall daft statement

everyone will be obese? Even those of us who eat wonderful balanced diets already, local and organic? How does that work?

[Barack_America]

18. As a medical professional (in training), I vote "Nay"....

He went to the University of Michigan for medical school and they have a top-notch public health program, so I'm sure that he got some exposure to public health policy there. But I'm also in medical school at a school with a good public health program and there is no way that the public health exposure I've gotten in med school would qualify me to be the face of American public health efforts. Furthermore, Gupta went on to train as a neurosurgeon, not exactly a public health-focused field.

As for his television reports making him qualified; in school I did reports on American history and American Presidents, but that doesn't make me a historian or Presidential scholar. There is nothing in Gupta's CV to suggest that he understands American public health issues on anything other than a very superficial level.

[Citizen Number 9]

33. Keep studying for now, but

You might be surprised at how much you can learn after you graduate and you don't get any letters after your name for it, either.

[Barack_America]

35. Please elaborate.

[Citizen Number 9]

38. Even four years of training

in Public Health might not trump the experience that you could get in Gupta's position. Good journalists can become surprisingly well educated.

What you are learning in Medical School is only a very basic foundation for a lifetime of actually practicing medicine.

[Barack_America]

45. For the sake of the millions of Americans who desperately need...

...a serious public health effort from the Obama administration, let's hope he did.

[Citizen Number 9]

75. What millions of Americans desperately need is to

drop weight, stop smoking and drinking and exercise more.


That will do more for Public Health than anything Gupta, or anyone else for that matter, could possible do.

[Cash_thatswhatiwant]

19. Yea. He's eye candy.

[Sebastian Doyle]

23. The only worse choice for this position would have been Bill Frist

And that's only because of the cat butchery thing. His views on corporatized health care aren't any worse than Gupta's.

[last_texas_dem]

94. But Frist had that whole long distance diagnosis ability, remember?

Pretty impressive. haha

[Sultana]

26. NAY

[beac]

37. NAY, NAY, a THOUSAND times NAY!

Rightwing shill for Big Parma and a primadonna to boot!

[Phoonzang]

41. He'll serve his purpose.

It's the surgeon general...I can't manage to give a shit about this...really.

[Catchawave]

42. Nay.

For obvious reasons. :silly:

[BeyondGeography]

43. I'm for it because it pisses off Draft_Mario_Cuomo

He of D-Punjab fame.

[Pisces]

48. Not for us to choose. Those of you who think you get say should look in the mirror.

If you don't see Barack when you look, you have no say.

[Hope And Change]

49. NAY.

[ruggerson]

52. "mediatic?"

[Colobo]

55. English is my second language. I thought the word existed in English

to refer to people involved in the media business. We have it in Spanish. I apologize for the mistake.

[DRoseDARs]

56. Nope, not a word that migrated to English, unlike many Spanish words.

Ce la vie... :shrug: ;)

[ruggerson]

66. No worries

I was just interested in the etymology.

[DRoseDARs]

53. I keep thinking back to MM's schooling of Gupta over CNN's "fact-checking" of SiCKO.

All I can hear is a loud, "Nay." If a loud-mouthed, bloviating propagandist (damned entertaining one that does his homework too, god bless him) can so embarrass a supposedly well-educated neurosurgeon, maybe the neurosurgeon should stick with surgery and teevee.

http://www.michaelmoore.com/sicko/news/article.php?id=10017

[mt13]

60. Deepak Chopra!

excerpts from http://chopra.com/aboutdeepak

Acknowledged as one of the world's greatest leaders in the field of mind-body medicine, Deepak Chopra, M.D. continues to transform our understanding of the meaning of health.

Chopra's work is changing the way the world views physical, mental, emotional, spiritual and social wellness.

"My country has been enriched by the contributions of more than a million Indian Americans, which includes Dr. Deepak Chopra, the pioneer of alternative medicine."
President William Clinton, March 21, 2000 – State Dinner - India

"Time Magazine heralds Deepak Chopra as one of the top 100 heroes and icons of the century, and credits him as “the poet-prophet of alternative medicine."
Time Magazine, June 1999.

"A renowned physician and author, Deepak Chopra is undoubtedly one of the most lucid and inspired philosophers of our time."
Mikhail Gorbachev, Citation of the Medal of the Presidency of the Italian Republic awarded by the Pio Manzu International Scientific

[TahitiNut]

61. Meh ... he won't last 2 years

He'll go for the gold. :shrug: He likes money more than doctorin'.

[invictus]

62. Nay, he is a corporate shill with no credibility.

nt

[Deja Q]

63. No, he's a capable American.

Or shall I go around telling everyone "I am a Dutch-Scottish-British-Norwegian-French-American"?

[jberryhill]

64. I'm all for employing a good shill on our side

I don't know where people get the notion that he's going to be doing something other than advancing the public health goals of the Obama administration.

He doesn't get a veto, you know.

[depakid]

65. Personally, I'd prefer an honest person

who admits mistakes on matters of fact- and corrects them when they're shown to be wrong.

Takes a bit of guts to do that when you're getting pay and limelight from CNN, I know- but still.

[Autumn]

67. NAY

sucks on TV, sucks to have him in our Administration. Tool,shill,just a couple of nice words that come to mind.

[Ganja Ninja]

68. Not in favor.

Doesn't seem to me like there was a lot of thought involved in coming up with Gupta.

And by the way, when does Obama start thinking about reaching out to his base? Couldn't he have found a Surgeon General with favorable views on Marijuana. Seems like little enough to ask. Instead he seems to have picked Gupta as if he just wanted to fill the position and not waste time thinking it over.

[jefferson_dem]

69. Way.

n/t

[irislake]

70. Why not Dr. Phil?

Michael Moore must be less thrilled with Obama now.

[LostinVA]

91. Like Katie Couric, Dr. Phil has a good education

I want Suze Orman for Commerce. She's gay, too.

[Barack_America]

98. Actually, if there were a Surgeon General type position for personal finances...

...she would fucking rock it. Come to think of it, why isn't there an "Accountant General"?

[SKKY]

71. He was a neurosurgeon before he got his CNN gig, and appears to be...

...very well respected among his colleagues. I don't see the negative in this.

[Alcibiades]

72. This is not change!

He's a former adviser to Hillary Clinton. Is that change?

This is not why I worked my ass off in the primary for him.

[Citizen Number 9]

76. Change? What would be change?

[harun]

80. Howard Dean or Ron Paul

[ChiciB1]

82. Oh, I LOVE The Howard Dean Thought... Sorry I Didn't Think Of It!!! n/t

[Citizen Number 9]

104. I keep getting the feeling that some of you want

chaos, not change.

[merh]

97. You know, it has been explained over and over and over again.

The change comes from the top, the way that Obama will operate as president, it will include his efforts to get past the partisan bullshit and to work to do what is right for all Americans.

Even those in Clinton's administration are good Americans, good Dems and well qualified public servants.

The bitching about "change" that is found all over DU sounds just like the righties bitchings.

If you would like the link to a mixed message board that has righties posting the same shit you just posted please let me know. You can go join in their chorus and lament that the change isn't what you want.

Me, I'm willing to let the man take office and set some policy before I complain about what he has or hasn't done.

[Name removed]

74. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[dpbrown]

79. He's a mouthpiece with no credibility - he's been spanked hard and proven wrong by Michael Moore

Even if his job is only to be a media mouthpiece, he's got no crediblity, and comes off like a corporate shill.

[supernova]

83. If Obama makes him sell the wonders of UHC

I will laugh my ass off.

:rofl:

I don't like Gupta for all the reasons mentioned. But if Obama makes him sell substantial healthcare reform, then I'll be a believer.

[amoreena]

84. Nay...

I am so sick of him that I cannot bear to watch CNN. He is on 24/7.

[Blue_Tires]

87. nay

i can't believe he is the best person for the job...if obama wanted a high-profile, media savvy, recognizable face out there, then i can understand a little...

[LostinVA]

89. He has no public health experience, which I feel is what an SG should ahve

The lying pisses me off, too.

[merh]

96. What exactly is "public health experience"?

If Hillary had nominated him, would you be just as pissed off?

Chances are, she would have given he worked with her and her husband.

During the Clinton administration, he was a White House fellow and special adviser to then-first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton.

[LostinVA]

100. "If Hillary had nominated him, would you be just as pissed off? "

What in the world does Hillary Clinton have to do with what I said -- wtf? Some people on here REALLY need to get beyond the Primaries.

He worked as a FELLOW for ONE YEAR. He does not have a public health background and you know it. I sincerely doubt that she nor any of the other Presidential candidates would have nominated Gupta. I would have laughed if someone had told me this weekend Obama would. I thought it was an Onion article when I first saw it on here -- seriously.

[merh]

101. Check your avatar.

It is a legitimate question given his work with the Clintons and your avatar and your stance.

I ask again, what exactly is "public health experience"?

And, chances are she would have nominated him, he worked for and with her, she knows he is a professional.

[Forkboy]

95. Nay

[mvd]

99. I'd have to vote Nay

Luckily, the SG position isn't one of the more important picks. If Obama can make him a good spokesman for his positions, that would be nice, but I don't trust Gupta.

[FrenchieCat]

102. I really didn't ever really truly give a fuck as to whom the SG was

and so I'm not going to pretend that I give a fuck now.

Personally, I think it is a good move to push the healthplan through
the fucked up media who succeeded in derailing it last time.

The media is the culprit in all that has gone wrong in much of recent times,
and hiring one of them away for our own government's purpose
may just work.

But again, I'm not going to be so pretentious to act as though I ever really cared
about this position, because I never did.

If I'm all the way wrong, once I see how it is that I was wrong, I'll be the first
to say that the SG affected my life in a meaningful way.

In the meantime, I'll await the Universal Health insurance coverage proposal that was offered.

I'm just looking forward to when most heads at DU explode
when Obama doesn't offer what he didn't run on; Single Payer healthcare.

Now, that's gonna be totally predictable!

[Zynx]

103. This is the first pick I haven't liked that much. At least Surgeon General does positively nothing.

[mrs_p]

107. i don't really care, whatever....

what is all the fuss? he will tell people to eat right, exercise, and not smoke. and, as for not having public health experience, what a crock of shit. speaking to the public about health issues is public health experience. no he doesn't have an mph - but who the bleep cares?? he is not researching the epidemiology of HIV in urban minorities. all he will do is open his mouth and tell people to live healthy lives. the fact that he is a TV personality might even get some people's attention. i cannot believe all the panties in a twist about this....

[TexasObserver]

108. What next? CNN's "Always Belchy" for Economic Advisor?!

I'm talking about the bald headed dude who thinks he knows something about business.

Gupta? A pretty face with about the same utility as Dr. Phil.

[Warren Stupidity]

109. Awful pick, total prick.

[chascarrillo]

110. You vote "Yea" 'cause you're a suckup.

He's shown himself to be remarkably incompetent at educating the public. Don't we deserve better? Or do we just support him because Obama is selecting him?