Healthcare Reform - A Start

What has just been taken - the first step on the road to a public option for healthcare insurance that one day will result in 100% of Americans being covered, or the first step in major escalation of racial animosity in America? President Obama's signature may have set both in motion. I've been commenting on this subject via Twitter over the past couple weeks and have gathered my thoughts below. What are you opinions on this matter?

This is how American politics works basically. If Obama presided as a republican, a democrat in name only, republicans would oppose their own policies. It’s all about winning next round of elections by any means necessary. Doesn’t need to make any sense beyond that.

The republican party has one objective now that we have a democrat President. They want him to fail & be a 1-term President. Policies are irrelevant. Only continuous opposition matters.


Are democrats just as bad playing this childish political game when the sitting President is republican? Probably, although not quite as nasty about it.


I'm no healthcare policy expert. Changes to system make sense to me if those changes result in more people covered so more saved lives. Simple.


I'm sure there are plenty of intelligent reasons for opposing the healthcare bill. But it's hard to find it beneath birther nonsense, thinly veiled racism of tea party BS, claims that America is being transformed in one fell swoop to a socialist nation, Hitler comparisons, etc.


If a raving lunatic shouts 9 absurd things and 1 really smart one, the intelligent comment will be devalued & vanquished by the 9 dumb, potentially dangerous ones.


If goal of republicans is to regain power, how is it that they haven't yet realized coming off like mentally unstable, petulant name calling kids isn't best way to go?


I don't really care what party the POTUS belongs to. So long as an intelligent, level headed, humanitarian is at the helm, I'm pleased. That seems to be what we’ve currently got.


I want whoever the POTUS is to do a fantastic job because I'm a citizen of the USA, so his/her success is in my best interest.


Rooting against everything the POTUS tries to do, throwing roadblocks at every turn & disrespecting the office itself seems pretty un-American. This is ironic of course since the favorite tactic of republicans is to call most goals of the democratic party un-American (i.e. socialist) by nature.


But things are starting to turn uglier than merely referring to anything President Obama and democrats do as enlarging of welfare state. It’s getting personal and racist. Beck, Limbaugh, etc. have effectively convinced ignorant bigots that it's okay to emerge from their trailer parks & show their true colors.


In the 21st century all but the most ignorant have usually known well enough to keep their ugliest feelings somewhat on down low. But if you convince them their bigotry is patriotic, they are liberated.


As with Salem witch trials or McCarthy era, if you can dehumanize enemy with evil sounding labels, hatred is made acceptable.


“Obama wants to change healthcare system & defuse power of insurance companies” doesn't sound sufficiently terrifying. "He wants to take away your freedom" does trick.


As a general rule you can't really reason with the unreasonable masses. Wise men know goal is to do your job and watch your back. Such is the task at hand for President Obama.


Tea partiers is just the latest term for racist hate group. No politician who aligns with them will hold national office. Sorry, Mrs. Palin.


If you're going be a hate group have some balls & just say we organized because we hate them, them & them. Don't pretend it's political, not personal. I have a great deal of difficulty believing the rage being expressed by many of these anti-healthcare reform demonstrators is strictly over size of government. Brown face of man in charge is definitely a catalyst.


Why make up death panels & baby killer stuff? If you have a serious, legitimate argument against something, why not make that specific, well thought out argument? Rhetorical questions. I know precisely why they do it. Because it's effective.


Don't simply tell me what you're against either. Tell me what you're for. Anyone can oppose, but many can't propose.


I almost wish Hillary had won so racism would be absent from rhetoric over hcr debate. But losing side would have just resorted to sexism instead.


Maybe if a class act like John Edwards (if only there was a sarcasm font) had become President and gotten hcr passed, the opposition's reaction to it (and to a middle aged white man, since that's what Americans are accustomed to seeing in the oval office) would have been more civil.


I hate profoundly inconsiderate people & would gladly join a group of people who felt the same. We wouldn't pretend our group was about anything other than our disdain for the perpetually obnoxious. We wouldn't hide behind claims that our complaints were over the size of government or tax codes.


Sick people should be able to get medical attention without going broke. What craziness will Obama push next - free oxygen & water for all? Damn Commie! Hey, this game is even easier to play than I thought.


You'd think 1 or 2 republicans would have shown some decency and sense and voted against party line in favor of hcr, just as some democrats conscientiously voted against it. Not hundreds, not dozens, just 1 or 2 brave republicans. Nope. Do I give points for display of party loyalty? Nope.


I assume Obama will wait until his second term to get around to hot button topic of reparations. Just joking republicans, he won't really do it.c Due to purposely spread false rumor that hcr results in government sponsored abortions, the phrase “baby killer” is hurled, and not just from random ignoramuses in the lynch mob, I mean, the crowd. When Obama pulls majority of troops from Middle East he’ll be yelled at for not continuing war & killing more babies.


Not just Rush Limbaugh, but everyone who thinks Obama & co. just turned USA into a socialist country feel free to move elsewhere. Take a true stand. Please don't all go to Costa Rica though. Choose a location I'm much less likely to visit on vacation.


History of this nation has been one long Civil War. Our journey towards a more perfect union is waged one self-contained battle at a time. Nothing worthwhile in America the Beautiful has been accomplished without a fight, and the enemy has usually been ourselves.


This is what change looks like, painfully slow when signficant in size and scope, both beautiful and hideous.

President Obama: "20 million have health insurance that didn't have it because of what we did." pic.twitter.com/FR94Hv2T4F

— The Hill (@thehill) July 23, 2020