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President Obama's Arrogance Is Killing His Health Care Plan
New York Daily News ^ | Thursday, August 27th 2009 | ANDREA TANTAROS

Posted on 08/27/2009 11:39:08 AM PDT by nickcarraway

President Obama's health care "plan" is going down like a handful of tacks, and the Democratic Party, experiencing the political equivalent of a nervous breakdown, is poised to commence a civil war over health reform that could virtually tear the party's leaders to shreds. The White House has made a series of irreversible blunders that have left the party, and the President, in peril.

* Message schizophrenia. The talking points coming out of the White House these days are harder to follow than a Jessica Simpson autobiography. First, there was the moral imperative that it wanted to move forward with universal health care to cover the 46 million uninsured. This number is misleading. Many of the uninsured are offered insurance and don't take it, and millions are illegal aliens. More troubling is the fact that the former director of the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) says that 43% have the means to buy insurance but don't. CBO projections among the uninsured in 2009: 18% will be eligible for but not enrolled in Medicaid, and 30% will be offered, but will decline, coverage from an employer, leaving the electorate questioning a full overhaul. When the original argument fell flat, the White House quickly shifted to an economic imperative that its plan would help cut the rising cost of care. Not so, according to the CBO, which found that the Democratic "plan" will raise - not cut - costs. Nothing blows up a sales pitch like getting mugged by reality.

* Hubris. There's a proverb that states that pride comes before a fall. Not only did Obama's overbearing pride cause him to grossly underestimate how savvy seniors and the entire American electorate is when it comes to health care, it also allowed him to overestimate his own understanding of the issue - particularly from a purely political standpoint.

* Playground Tactics. Insults are generally reserved for people who cut you off while driving. They aren't smart strategy when used against the people who elected you. The left discounted the initial concern and anger of its constituents and insulted them by calling them "angry mobs" and "evil." When you put forth a plan that is baked with every possible political poison from half a trillion in tax hikes to penalties for small business to fund it, you can't expect anything but legitimate fury. Worse yet, as polls show support for health reform declining along with Obama's approval numbers, the administration continues to ignore the public outcry. It is either in serious denial, doesn't give a damn about losing Congress to Republicans in 2010, or is more beholden to the far left than one could have ever imagined.

* Poor Planning. Obama and his team never expected to have to fight "evildoers" all August long over universal health care. The President's presumption anticipated a bill being sent to his desk the first week in August. In fact, that's exactly what Dr. Obama ordered. And because they didn't think they'd experience any pushback, they never had a real blueprint, especially when it came time to explain how they were going to pay for it. Cutting $300 billion from Medicare would result in fewer services for seniors. That's not exactly going to move the masses. * History. They ignored it. What's the saying? "Smart people learn from their mistakes, while wise people learn from the mistakes of others." The Obama team didn't learn from the mistakes of the Clintons when it comes to trying to reform health care. One look back at the 1990s would have shown the left that the more people hear about drastic changes like a government option in health care, the more they dislike it.

Again we see the arrogance. Or perhaps it was ignorance. Notice a theme here.

The next few weeks will be pivotal for Obama and his credibility. There is little room for error. That means he'll need two plans: one for the nation, and one to protect his political health.


TOPICS: Extended News; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: 111th; arrogance; bho44; bhohealthcare; healthcare; obama; whitehouse
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1 posted on 08/27/2009 11:39:10 AM PDT by nickcarraway
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To: nickcarraway

The failure of the arrogant is always their arrogance.


2 posted on 08/27/2009 11:41:42 AM PDT by Tarpon (The Joker's plan -- Slavery by debt so large it can never be repaid...)
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To: nickcarraway
President Obama's Arrogance Is Killing His Health Care Plan

Not to mention his ignorance and socialism.

3 posted on 08/27/2009 11:44:39 AM PDT by The Sons of Liberty (FUBO - No socialist Bureaucrat on a Death Panel is going to decide whether I live or die!)
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To: nickcarraway

Good article. I agree completely and even think Andrea Tantaros is a babe!


4 posted on 08/27/2009 11:44:48 AM PDT by BertWheeler (Dance and the world dances with you...)
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To: nickcarraway
Add to that the waking up of the 86% of Americans who are happy with the Health Insurance Plan they now have.
5 posted on 08/27/2009 11:44:49 AM PDT by NavyCanDo (Are you better off than you were 4 Trillion dollars ago?)
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To: nickcarraway

Zippy has credibility???


6 posted on 08/27/2009 11:44:51 AM PDT by snuffy smiff (the only good commie is a dead commie)
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Comment #7 Removed by Moderator

To: nickcarraway
"The news couldn't be better," Hitler said when he was first informed that D-Day was here. "As long as they were in Britain we couldn't get at them. Now we have them where we can destroy them."
8 posted on 08/27/2009 11:46:52 AM PDT by HerrBlucher
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To: nickcarraway

Arrogance and incompetence, such lovely character traits.

Why do the libs seem to have the corner on that market.


9 posted on 08/27/2009 11:47:41 AM PDT by Drill Thrawl (Another day, another injury, another step closer...)
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To: nickcarraway

Obama has all but rendered useless his main weapon, the bully pulpit, by overexposure.


10 posted on 08/27/2009 11:47:59 AM PDT by monocle
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To: The Sons of Liberty

To quote Ted Kennedy, who is, according to the media, BO’s older brother:

“Socialism hasn’t worked in the 6000 years of recorded history because it hasn’t had me to run it.”


11 posted on 08/27/2009 11:50:28 AM PDT by MrB (Go Galt now, save Bowman for later)
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To: Baynative

Ah, the “low income” people CURRENTLY buy all the booze, smokes, flat screens, latest cell phones, cable, pay per view, video games, etc, that they want

AND

get food stamps, rent assistance, and welfare checks.

So, what would be different with this welfare system?


12 posted on 08/27/2009 11:52:12 AM PDT by MrB (Go Galt now, save Bowman for later)
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To: nickcarraway

See? Sometimes arrogance can be a GOOD thing. LOL.


13 posted on 08/27/2009 11:53:33 AM PDT by Recovering_Democrat
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To: nickcarraway

The only thing that comes to mind when I think of people who want their nose up while being photographed is they are all dictators.

14 posted on 08/27/2009 11:54:07 AM PDT by Abathar (Proudly posting without reading the article carefully since 2004)
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To: nickcarraway
President Obama's arogance is a sympton of his failure, not the cause of it.

He believes he is deserving of "acceptance" by divine right. He doesn't have to sell people on his agenda. He's reason enough to support whatever he wants.

He's blindsided in having to make a CASE for why this is BETTER and how the critics of his plan are "wrong". Simply saying "no it isn't" does not a convincing argument make. The critics cite chapter and verse from the 1400 page bill. Obama's minions wave their hands dismissively and say "it's not in there" or "it won't be by the time it comes to a vote". In the absence of language that explicitly prohibits any of the controversial elements, there is nothing to stop them from being implemented by a panel OUTSIDE OF CONTROL OF THE LEGISLATUURE at a future date (incrementalism to getting the bill that was wanted). Putting explicit prohibitions in the language would require a new bill to alter what is "set in stone" legally in the current bill.

15 posted on 08/27/2009 11:56:39 AM PDT by a fool in paradise (Kennedycare?Recall that "Animal Farm" begins with a Socialist Revolution to honor Big Major's legacy)
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To: nickcarraway
* History. They ignored it. What's the saying? "Smart people learn from their mistakes, while wise people learn from the mistakes of others." The Obama team didn't learn from the mistakes of the Clintons when it comes to trying to reform health care.

They didn't learn from George W. Bush either. Obama did the same thing Bush did with Social Security reform: come up with a list of vague aims and then let Congress handle the details instead of writing the bill and handing it off to Congress.

16 posted on 08/27/2009 11:59:12 AM PDT by KarlInOhio ("I can run wild for six months ...after that, I have no expectation of success" - Admiral Obama-moto)
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To: nickcarraway

President Obama’s Healthcare Plan is killing the Healthcare Plan.


17 posted on 08/27/2009 12:03:22 PM PDT by b4its2late (Ignorance allows liberalism to prosper.)
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To: nickcarraway
Remember when they (Pelosi, Waxman, etc...)all got on stage at their press conference back in July and slathered each other up with victory soap and had self-congratulatory climaxes that they were the ones who had overcome every hurdle to get healthcare reform passed...it was like it had already been passed...it reminded me of the day they all got on stage in November '08 and screamed, “Democrats are ready to lead America,” when she said, “I have no question that we have the votes on the floor of the House to pass this legislation.” Simply lies from a liar of the dubious Democratic (socialist) Party of America.
18 posted on 08/27/2009 12:05:56 PM PDT by jacknhoo (Luke 12:51. Think ye, that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, no; but separation.)
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To: jacknhoo

Nov ‘06


19 posted on 08/27/2009 12:07:08 PM PDT by jacknhoo (Luke 12:51. Think ye, that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, no; but separation.)
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To: nickcarraway
His pride “...allowed him to overestimate his own understanding of the issue..”

It's true, this SOB has a smug and demonstrably summary expectation that all he has to do is THINK about a thing and it is achieved.... He needs someone to bust that bubble he has been floating around on. I think that events completely apart from America's current economic problems are going to shine a glaring light on ALL “O’s” flaws and failings real quick here. If nothing other than the expected pandemic, much awaits this fool-he is in for a real cold shower and soon..... and of course, “no one smarts so much as a fool.”

20 posted on 08/27/2009 12:09:13 PM PDT by SMARTY ("Stay together, pay the soldiers and forget everything else" Lucius Septimus Severus)
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