Obama's HCR plan? FORCE the GOP to talk about it on camera?

[Clio the Leo]

Interesting theory....

Decoding Obama's Health Care Plan
Jonathan Chait

At a fundraiser last night, President Obama laid out his vision for health care reform. This is interesting:

“What I’d like to do is have a meeting whereby I am sitting with the Republicans, sitting with the Democrats, sitting with health care experts and let’s just go through these bills,” Mr. Obama said. “Their ideas, our ideas. Let’s walk through them in a methodical way, so that the American people can see and compare what makes the most sense. And then I think that we have got to move forward on a vote. We have got to move forward on a vote.”

Mr. Obama said that Americans were apprehensive about the health care legislation because there was too much misinformation that he would now work to clear up.

“They are certain that they would have to go onto a government plan, which isn’t true,” the president said. “But that’s still a perception a lot of people have. They are still pretty sure that they would have to give up their doctor. They are still pretty sure that if they are happy with their health care plan, that it’s bad for them. They are still positive that this is going to add to the deficit. So there is a lot of information out there that people understandably are concerned about.”

He continued, “That’s why I think it’s very important for us to have a methodical, open process over the next several weeks and then let’s go ahead and make a decision. And it may be that if Congress decides, if Congress decides we’re not going to do it, even after all the facts are laid out, all the options are clear, then the American people can make a judgment as to whether this Congress has done the right thing for them or not. And that’s how democracy works, and there will be elections coming up and they will be able to make a determination and register their concerns one way or another during election time.”

<snip>

I actually had to read Obama's remark twice to fully understand what he's getting at, but now that I have, it seems pretty clear. I think Obama sees the perception that the process is broken -- that it's backroom deals and "ignoring the will of the people" -- to be the biggest impediment to passage of the bill. So he's proposing a remedy to that perception.

The most important part is what Obama says should happen first: Democrats should settle their differences and work out a final bill. That's crucial. Then he wants to sit down with both parties, and health care experts, and walk through the details in a methodical way. I'd guess he's imagining a process that might look a little like his back-and-forth with House Republicans -- they present him with wild claims about a government takeover, and he calmly responds. They insist that their ideas are better, and he gets to show that they're not. Then you vote. In other words, a debate in which he gets to take center stage, on top of the kabuki theater of a House debate. That way Obama gets to demonstrate that the plan he has is the product of having considered all the alternatives and arriving at the best way to solve the problem, not just cooking up a backroom deal. The idea seems to be to use his wonky, technocratic style to counteract the process-based objections and sell the bill.

Another key element of Obama's remarks is his insistence that Congress actually have a vote. Let me repeat that section:

That’s why I think it’s very important for us to have a methodical, open process over the next several weeks and then let’s go ahead and make a decision. And it may be that if Congress decides, if Congress decides we’re not going to do it, even after all the facts are laid out, all the options are clear, then the American people can make a judgment as to whether this Congress has done the right thing for them or not.

He's saying that Congress can't just ignore the issue and let it die in quiet. It needs to have a vote, relatively soon, and make a decision, rather than decide by default to keep the status quo. This strikes me as enormously positive news.

Now, Obama's remarks are laying out what happens after Democrats have laid aside their differences and agreed on a final bill. As Jonathan Cohn writes, getting to that point is not going to be easy, and will probably require Obama's involvement, which to this point has been weak-to-nonexistent. But these remarks suggest a deep commitment to success and a pretty smart plan for making it happen.

http://www.tnr.com/blog/jonathan-chait/decoding-obamas-health-care-plan

[quiet.american]

1. Glad to see this discussion on the topic. Some thoughts --

The only way that this works is that the WH is out in front of the almost-certain MSM/GOP narrative that the WH and Democrats have "caved" to GOP demands to "start over."

The WH had better be up on it, because by tonight, I would bet money that will be the narrative.

Second - one could also bet money that even after all the discussions, back-and-forth and drama that will ensue from this tactic, the numbers will remain the same -- 41 GOP against, 59 Dem/Ind for. The only dynamic that may change, and that one could probably bet on, is that we will actually lose a few Blue Dogs along the way and have an even smaller majority for it. So for Obama to say, let the Congress vote on it -- the numbers will look the same as they do now.

Voters by and large who are not political junkies will not follow the process, and will only know about it through what Fox and their local news and local rags tell them. I am cynical that if the measure doesn't pass, blame will be laid at the GOP's feet and it is the GOP who will pay the political price. Very cynical as to that.

[dmr]

2. It also blows the wind out of the GOP sails come election time

They won't be able to say they weren't included in the decision process.

They won't be able to say no one would listen to their ideas.

They won't be able to deny being the party of no.

The prez would have them backed into a corner on whether they choose to participate or not.

Depending on which constituent they try to impress they are damned if they do, damned if they don't.

I still worry what this bill will end up looking like.

[gkhouston]

3. Not only should he answer their questions, he should ask some. Not "gotcha"

questions, but real ones. Then again, real questions are likely to make them look like idiots. Boo hoo. :rofl:

[Independent_Voice]

4. Come on, do you seriously think the Republicans will walk into that trap...

They'll continue to whine and huff-and-puff about how ObamaCare "costs too much."

And in the meantime, Obama will be able to say, "Hey, at least I tried to bring them to the table..."

[geek tragedy]

5. Lame, lame, lame.

Proposing some kind of teach-in that the Republicans would never agree to?

If that's the best he's got, he's pretty much given up.