Comments on: What If Obama Walked Away From Health Care? http://trueslant.com/justingardner/2009/07/30/what-if-obama-walked-away-from-health-care/ [Please go to 'Settings' to change your Tagline] Sat, 12 Nov 2011 01:21:45 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: hidflect http://trueslant.com/justingardner/2009/07/30/what-if-obama-walked-away-from-health-care/comment-page-1/#comment-56 hidflect Fri, 31 Jul 2009 09:32:50 +0000 http://trueslant.com/justingardner/?p=427#comment-56 The pattern is clear. With every initiative Obama introduces the result is: the same old status quo with a progressive cherry on top. No one forced him to pick business as usual insiders like Larry Summers and Rahm Emmanuel. He doled out his share of the money unquestionaly to the feckless banks. And he won't get health care done nor any of his other policies without them ending up a mangled, corporate-friendly mess. The lobbyists smell weakness and they're pouring in the money ammunition to the usual corrupt chuckleheads. Obama's got no "LBJ" in him. He's unable to kick heads to get what he wants. He's taken compromise to the high art of unconditional surrender. The pattern is clear. With every initiative Obama introduces the result is: the same old status quo with a progressive cherry on top. No one forced him to pick business as usual insiders like Larry Summers and Rahm Emmanuel. He doled out his share of the money unquestionaly to the feckless banks. And he won’t get health care done nor any of his other policies without them ending up a mangled, corporate-friendly mess. The lobbyists smell weakness and they’re pouring in the money ammunition to the usual corrupt chuckleheads. Obama’s got no “LBJ” in him. He’s unable to kick heads to get what he wants. He’s taken compromise to the high art of unconditional surrender.

]]> By: markbolton http://trueslant.com/justingardner/2009/07/30/what-if-obama-walked-away-from-health-care/comment-page-1/#comment-52 markbolton Thu, 30 Jul 2009 23:43:54 +0000 http://trueslant.com/justingardner/?p=427#comment-52 "Here’s the question: Should Obama save his political capital for pushing through his other initiatives, like energy reform, and focus on getting re-elected in 3 years?" I would be tempted to say YES if any of his other initiatives (like energy reform) were really bold, making them worth the healthcare delay. However, my guess is that all his initiatives will be defeated in the same way as healthcare reform, and for the same reason. When your starting point in the discussion/negotiation is in the middle of the road - there's nowhere to go but toward the other side. He's even worse at this than I thought he'd be. “Here’s the question: Should Obama save his political capital for pushing through his other initiatives, like energy reform, and focus on getting re-elected in 3 years?”

I would be tempted to say YES if any of his other initiatives (like energy reform) were really bold, making them worth the healthcare delay. However, my guess is that all his initiatives will be defeated in the same way as healthcare reform, and for the same reason. When your starting point in the discussion/negotiation is in the middle of the road – there’s nowhere to go but toward the other side. He’s even worse at this than I thought he’d be.

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