Enthusiasm gap? How'd that work in Berlin in 1928?

The revealed truth appears to be that the Obama administration and the Democrats are doomed, doomed, doomed because a lot of self-identified Democrats aren't going to the polls in 2010 because they lack enthusiasm. I would have thought the futility of the Obama administration and the president's inability to recognize that you can't get people who don't want to reconcile to reconcile or people who want to be disruptive and uncivil to be constructive and civil by listening might have a bit more to do with it.

It is always easier to get people to be against something as opposed to for something...and, Democrats in today's political cess-pool are in fact far less ideologically pure than Republicans. Who appear to have annointed  Sister "Gosh darn it, I'm special! Not Like Trig is Special, but Special!" as a spokesperson.

If there ever was a time to run a "give 'em hell, Harry" style effort, this is the time. However, while his name doesn't come up all that much, Obama is tied to Marshall McLuhan's view of media. Television is a "cool" media; the internet and blogosphere is a hot media. One of the aspects of a cool media is a certain level of dispassion; the blogosphere is nothing if not passionate. In addition, the administration in particular and the congress as well isn't able to respond. I'm not thinking Bush, I'm thinking Weimar...the mainstream politicians and press became irrelevant while the Nazis and the Commies and the various nutcases became the mainstream.

Well, outside of running Springsteen for New Jersey governor, how the hell do the Dems connect? They need to have a bit of party unity, and they need to scapegoat the Republicans where they bastards are vulnerable -- like Maine, for example. Rural health care in Maine is a joke, but Snowe and Collins have blown the chance to make history. Joe Lieberman needs to be invited out of the Democratic caucus, immediately, with Lincoln, Landrau and Nelson to follow. Let them be ideologically pure...somewhere else.

If they Dems pass health care, 2010 will not be a debacle. If they don't, or what ends up passing is a disaster, then a lot of Dems won't show up. In 1934, the Nazis showed up. They were evil, wrong, and totally unconnected to reality. But, damn, they were enthusiasm personified. What I suspect happens in 2010 is that who ever wins, we lose.
Kurt Weil and Berthold Brecht and the new decadence...

Comments

[Neurovore]

The Senate version of the healthcare bill will be so ridiculously weak or ineffectual, that the Democrats will have fucked themselves over even if it passes. Included in the bill is the lovely Stupak amendment, individual insurance mandates, and the public option that will serve as a dumping ground for the very sick. Even worse will be the fact that the coverage pool will be so small for the public "option" as it will only apply to 5% of the population at best. This will make monthly premiums for the pathetically weak public option even MORE expensive than regular premiums under many private plans. That is until insurance companies jack up our rates simply because they can.

This bill will supposedly end the practices of recissions and preexisting conditions. However, the individual mandate component of the bill will allow insurance companies to simply charge whatever they want as you would be tied to them or face a yearly tax penalty. This probably means being locked into "junk insurance" plans with high deductibles, high copays, and high premiums. Basically, it is a big bailout for private health insurance companies. It might actually be for the best if this bill fails.

I am sorry for the ranting post. It is just that I had high hopes for the Obama and the rest of the Democrats in the face of the batshit insane Republican party. However, it looks like they are either cowering in fear from the Blue Dogs and wingnuts or gleefully aiding and abetting their idiocy. By and large, the Democrats are now the party of Republican-Lite just like they were during the Bush years. Hell, we cannot even get them to stop indefinite detention without charges.

So now the Democrats are probably fucked in 2010 if the bill passes and probably fucked if it does not. They had the perfect opportunity to fix our pathetic healthcare system but they fucked it up and somehow made it even WORSE. Then the Republican Opposition party will blame the Democrats for failing to reform healthcare even though they have been the ones that have largely stood in the way of a decent public option in the first place.

USA!! USA!! USA!!