Obama's choice of Gupta says a lot.

[Renew Deal]

Obama's choice of Sanjay Gupta says a lot. Medically, he's as qualified as anyone. What makes Gupta stand out versus other candidates? Two things. He's a well known media personality, and he's liked by the military. Now why is being a media personality important and what does it say? First, look at what the SG is.

From wikipedia:
The Surgeon General of the United States is the operational head of the Public Health Service Commissioned Corps (PHSCC) and thus the leading spokesperson on matters of public health in the federal government.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surgeon_General_of_the_United_States

It says that Obama wants to make the Surgeon General a trusted public figure that can go to bat for Obama's initiatives. No one knows who the other candidates are, but a lot of people know who Gupta is, and they will be more willing to listen when he speaks. People here are talking about an activist SG, but Obama is looking to have a trusted SG.

[bunnies]

1. I dont trust a damn thing that comes out of that hacks mouth.

He's nothing but a big pharma lackey. Thumbs WAYYYYYYYY down. :thumbsdown:

[marimour]

4. you don't but the rest of America does

and that is what is important in reality.

[yardwork]

7. Not the ones with whom he has to work. The job involves a lot more than going on TV.

[biopowertoday]

45. Please do not assume that I am in your "rest of America".

[Renew Deal]

6. You wouldn't trust anything any of these big pharma hacks say.

Because it would be easy to argue than any of them are "big pharma lackey's." Why? Because they all have some ties to the pharmaceutical industry. But DUers are different than most Americans, and Obama is playing to most Americans.

[bunnies]

16. Good point.

Cant argue with that one. :)

[drm604]

15. But he'll no longer be a pharma lackey.

Pharma and the insurance industry will be losing an effective shill and Obama will be gaining one. As long as he does what he's told this could work out well. If he doesn't stay on message then Obama can always remove him.

I think it's possible that this may be a very clever choice. Time will tell.

[samsingh]

32. i agree with you

he has disappointed me alot in the past

[Barack_America]

2. Surgeon General is not a medical position, it is a public health position.

And Gupta has no public health training and little public health exposure, judging from his CV.

[DevonRex]

3. You have a good point there. And I like it that CNN is kind of boxed

in with this choice. They can't exactly trash him. And the public knows him and trusts him. I'm thinking that this is also a way to get the public to actually listen to administration suggestions on public health for a change. Most of the time people don't know or care who the SG is, much less what he has to say.

I'm a huge fan of Michael Moore. I didn't like Gupta's piece on him. BUT, as with all appointees, Gupta works for Obama. As long as he stays on message, I'm fine with him as SG.

[Renew Deal]

9. That's exactly the point.

It's mostly an ignored position. Maybe this will get some attention.

[yardwork]

5. A trusted public figure? He's a corporate hack who lied about a documentary.

Gupta is highly distrusted by a majority of people in the health care field. That's going to be a problem. This was a blunder.

[Renew Deal]

11. Anything to back that up?

Gupta is highly distrusted by a small minority of people who wail and cry anything Obama does anything, and by people who are madly in love with Michael Moore. That's not really a lot of people. Most people don't know what you're talking about.

[yardwork]

18. My personal experience in the health care field. Gupta is a celebrity but not respected in his field

[CreekDog]

35. funny

i would've thought your thread about Gupta would have been to discuss this, but it was mostly about Hilton. as if Hilton's and Gupta's qualifications are really that comparable for the positions in question.

[scheming daemons]

13. To you, that's what he is. To most of America, he's a known TRUSTED source

Newsflash.... your views don't represent the majority of Americans.


But then again, you've done nothing but exhibit constant poutrage at Obama for weeks.

[yardwork]

17. My views represent the majority of people in the health care fields.

Gupta is not respected by the people with whom he will have to work and negotiate. This was a blunder.

I've praised several of Obama's decisions this month.

[Still Sensible]

42. Examples?

[NashVegas]

22. Most of America Is An Idiot-Strewn Wasteland

And pharms will thank Gupta for playing straight to the room.

[yardwork]

29. Discussion about this particular topic has revealed the same about much of DU.

Your phrase sums it up so well - an "idiot-strewn wasteland."

[CreekDog]

36. you should have higher self esteem

you're pretty smart in my opinion.

[blm]

23. to the rest of America, James Carville was the voice of the Dem party on TV from 2000-2008

and at the same time WE knew he was protecting his war criminal wife and her bosses Bush, Rove and Cheney.

[bvar22]

34. To most of America.....

...the television is a trusted source for news.


Your point is....?

[jobycom]

8. Judge Judy for Attorney General!!

Oh well, I'll give him time and the benefit of the doubt. Maybe he's just trying to keep Leno and Letterman employed. :rofl:

[demodonkey]

38. Yeah, she's "trusted" by millions. Sign her up NOW, Barack!

:rofl:

[Alcibiades]

10. He's not qualified to lead the PHS

You're right to say he's a qualified spokesperson.

[blm]

12. I umderstand that aspect, but, it also tells me that corporate media determines who gets the mic and

who gets muted in the quest to establish credibility.

Just look who has gotten the microphone the MOST to represent Dem party from 2001-2008....Joe Lieberman, Lanny Davis, James Carville, Paul Begala, Sue Estrich....ugh.

Obama team HAS bought into the media hype of the so-called skills of some of his choices.

[Renew Deal]

14. That's partly the Democratic party's fault.

Where is the stable of surrogates the dems are using? The republicans create surrogates like crazy. The Dems don't do it as much. That's part of the problem.

[Thrill]

19. A doctor was on one of the morning shows. Just giddy about the choice

Thinking it was just a great move

[lamp_shade]

20. I couldn't be more pleased with Obama's choice.

[tomp]

25. how informative. nt

[snooper2]

21. He also still performs surgery on a regular basis

And, did 5 brain surgeries in Iraq while there....


But- He's on CNN so by default he's a corporate whore with no soul

[Barack_America]

24. If only the Surgeon General had anything to do with surgery.

[tomp]

27. he's a liar and a libeler. nt

[Froward69]

26. Gupta's stance on marijuana is

that "those who would want marijuana legalized beyond medicinally are really just looking to get stoned legally".

Well DUH!!!

He is just like my sister... very educated, very (book) smart. with almost no rational (street) skills or smarts.

[CreekDog]

37. I assume it takes no smarts to get an MD, to get published, to get on a medical faculty

to get a national TV gig as a physician, to perform neurosurgery, to get ahead in his field as a member of a minority group, to become a White House Fellow...

My goodness but you are right!!! He clearly has no street skills, just book smart. :eyes: :sarcasm:

[ananda]

28. I'm convinced now that Gupta is a bad pick.

Very bad.

[Maru Kitteh]

30. I'm with you. People here act like Gupta would be setting drug prices and denying insurance claims

himself, with blood dripping from his lips while a hearty but disturbing and detuned laugh rolled from his belly.

[leftstreet]

31. When the Insurance/Drug Complex slides the knife in our back

Goopta will stitch us up with happy joy-joy teevee talking points

[Clio the Leo]

33. The Feepers think he's too far left....

.... and we all think he's too far right.

I think there's your answer right there. ;)

[mrs_p]

39. i agree

he is just a spokesperson, he is not setting policy. he will tell us what is bad for our health (don't smoke and do meth) and what is good (exercise and eat right). he is not going to tell us which brand of medication is better than another or what health care plan we should buy into. he is not going to be weighing in on diagnostic methods. now if he was to be put in charge of NIH or CDC i would have problems, but really, what is the big deal?? the outrage is perplexing - or is obama supposed to pick a random progressive who talks about the benefits of herbal medicine, reflexology, and yoga? i just don't understand this place lately!

oh yeah, before i'm told i don't understand public health or medicine, i am a disease researcher and have been involved in medicine one way or another for 15 years.

[Cleita]

40. I'll be sure to remember than when my "entitlements", Social Security and

Medicare are destroyed even more making it harder to get health care, medicine and eat.

[RubyDuby in GA]

41. When asshat Gupta went out of his way to try to discredit M. Moore's facts in Sicko,

I pretty much lost any respect for him as a doctor and as a human. That slick oil salesman can go take a long walk off a short pier any time he wants to.

I'm pretty disgusted with the entire Oprah Cabinet for that matter. All slick and shiny on the outside. The "hope" we were all supposed to have is hope that no one scratches the surface to see there is nothing of substance underneath.

[Still Sensible]

43. Dr Dean applauded the pick today

[RubyDuby in GA]

44. Because he is a gentleman and has manners

At this point, I am waiting to be proven wrong, but to me the Obama Administration is shaping up to be one giant disappointment.

[scheming daemons]

46. Interesting that you accuse Howard Dean of lying....

[RubyDuby in GA]

47. And show me where I said Howard Dean was lying...

Thanks for trying to put words in my mouth, but I'm perfectly capable of making my own statements.
Statements of which had absolutely nothing to do with what you are suggesting.
Thanks for playing.

[ddeclue]

48. I would argue that he makes a good spokesperson but

so would Howard Dean, M.D. amongst many other available choices.

Doug D.