Barack Obama is a great orator, but he is the worst president I’ve ever seen when it comes to explaining his achievements, putting them in context, connecting with people on a gut level through repetition and thereby defining how the public views an issue.
Think about this: Is there anyone in America today who doesn’t either have a pre-existing medical condition or know someone who does and can’t get health insurance as a result? Yet two years after Obama’s health care bill became law, how many Americans understand that once it is fully implemented no American with a pre-existing condition will ever again be denied coverage?
You know how most Americans get their news? From the Village media. From, you know, PEOPLE LIKE TOM FRIEDMAN. Does Tom Friedman then think the positive benefits of the Affordable Care Act are worth repeating in order to help define to the public how vital it is?
Not really.
The Affordable Care Act of course addresses those concerns through state exchanges, waste reduction, and the mandate, but of course we still need a "grand bargain". Gosh, if only somebody had passed a law and the media would tell people about it. You know, like Friedman here.
Jesus wept.
Within both education and health care, we need grand bargains that better allocate resources between remediation and prevention. In both health and education, we spend more than anyone else in the world — without better outcomes. We waste too much money treating people for preventable diseases and reteaching students in college what they should have learned in high school. Modern capitalism requires skilled workers and workers with portable health care that allows them to move for any job.
The Affordable Care Act of course addresses those concerns through state exchanges, waste reduction, and the mandate, but of course we still need a "grand bargain". Gosh, if only somebody had passed a law and the media would tell people about it. You know, like Friedman here.
Jesus wept.
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