by John M. Curtis
(310) 204-8700

Copyright Aug 23, 2009
All Rights Reserved.

      Rolling the dice, President Barack Obama turned up snake-eyes, trying but failing to sell his national health care plan.  A weak economy and growing federal budget deficits haven’t helped matters, failing to convince voters that his plan was in the country’s best interests.  Conservatives have done a brilliant job defining Barack’s health plan as a “government takeover,” destined to ruin the American health system as we know it.  Forget about the nearly 50 million uninsured or countless other besieged with runaway health care costs, where high prices don’t yield more benefits or better medical care.  Recent polls indicate that not only do voters oppose Barack’s health plan, it’s damaged his approval ratings, once near 70% around inauguration day last January.  Since then, a stubborn recession and equally stubborn approach to health care has done the damage.

            A recent Reuters’ poll indicates that only 36% believe Barack’s health care plan was a good idea, while 41% believe it was bad, attesting, if nothing else, to his poor sales job.  Obama badly miscalculated, allowing Congress, especially House Speaker Nancy Pelosi  (D-Calif.), to sell the plan.  Pelosi has become a lightening rod of GOP dissent, spurring an avalanche of conservative groups to go on the attack.  Barack has done next to nothing to explain his plan’s details, especially who would benefit.  He failed to reassure taxpayers that the some 15-20 million illegal immigrants would get the lion’s share of taxpayer-funded health benefits.  No one reading the fine print has any idea whether the plan would parallel Medicare or become some costly government boondoggle, herding patients into a new colossus government HMO, rationing vital medical benefits to save money.

            Discussions about the “public v. private” option has distracted taxpayers from questioning the advisability of the government spending an estimated $100 billion a year on health care.  Instead of imposing Barack’s plan on the entire population, he should focus on a limited insurance program for uninsured citizens and legal residents.  Barack hoped that offering a government plan would force private insurers into offering more competitive benefits and prices.  Town hall meetings round the country have been filled with such disinformation that most citizens have grown more skeptical.  Barack’s health care approval rating is down to 41%, dragging his overall approval rating to 52%, a bad omen for Democrats in next year’s midterm elections.  While he doesn’t want to show weakness, Barack’s health plan has badly damaged his approval ratings, threatening Democrats’ fortunes.

            Pushing for national health care at the expense of his and Democrats’ approval ratings has become counterproductive.  Looking at a 41% health care approval rating tells the whole story.  Apart from Republican opposition, the president has failed to convince a skeptical audience that his plan would actually improve the nation’s health care.  With the government running a nearly $2 trillion budget deficit, the public is clearly more concerned about jobs than funding a new government program.  Even former GOP nominee Sen. John McCain’s (R-Ariz.) call to end the “public option,” doesn’t go far enough to recognize whether any government-sponsored program would be in the cards.  While it’s true that private insurers have fleeced the country for too long, it’s also true that there’s simply no cash to fund a costly new government or nonprofit health care program.

            Reuters’ poll also showed public support for Barack’s “public option” has slipped to 43%, a disaster when you consider the government offered to pay for the program.  Less support for a “public option” indicates that the public weighs the damaging effects of growing debt against the expected benefits from closing the insurance gap.  Barack tried but failed to convince voters that his health plan would have a stimulating effect on the economy.  He could never convince voters how he would pay for the program without busting the federal budget.  If the government weren’t running such red ink, national health care would be an easier sell.  Barack still needs to explain key details of any national health plan—whether public or private—including, premiums, deductibles, co-payments, exclusions and waiting periods.  Without the details, the public grew more skeptical and negative.

            White House officials have done a poor job of confronting GOP propaganda and convincing voters that Barack’s plan would improve the nation’s health care system.  Without providing more details, voters assume the worse, preferring, instead, to keep their private and employer-based coverage.  Fear about bad economic times has also left otherwise hopeful citizens leery of a massive government outlay to fund health coverage for some 15-20 million illegal immigrants.  Barack has never forcefully ruled out insurance coverage for undocumented workers, leaving many legal residents skeptical of funding coverage.  Whether or not it’s the “public” or “private” option, voters need to feel the government is justified spending the money.  If adding to the deficit extends the recession, delays economic recovery and hurts job creation, most Americans would put thumbs down to Barack’s plan.

 John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news.  He's editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.