Aug 18, 2009

One Little Word - "Public" - Causing Real Trouble for Obama

The reason the Obama administration is having so much trouble defining and defending their position is because of one innocent, little word: "public."

If only they'd used the term "Anti-Insurance Industry" option or "Alternative to 8-figure CEO Salary" option, things might be going better. No matter how Obama or the administration spins it, the word "public" has inherently negative connotations. Probably hearkens back to visions of "public" relief or "public" assistance. Hell, these days, people could be thinking of "public" transportation or "public" bathrooms and getting a bad feeling.

The point is, this one word, "public," provides the perfect segue for the insurance lobby, anti-reformers, and squawk-radio to label the whole plan as "government -ontrolled", "socialist" , or, for some Right-wingers, "fascist".

No matter how negatively Americans perceive "Big Insurance", the notion of a "public" option seems much worse. Even if a public option is the only way mitigate the insurance industry's virtually dictatorial control of American health care, the negative "spin" that naysayers can attach to the word "public" is simply too strong.

Unfortunately, Obama's chief message for positive change is lost whenever he says the best alternative to Big Insurance is the "public" option. No wonder he's having a hard time. Americans understand the words "greedy", "self-serving", and "corrupt". Why, oh why can't someone among Obama's sharp staff find a way to define "public" option for what it really is: A viable alternative to everything that's wrong with commercial managed care.

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