Sep 4, 2009

Why is Obama Lying To Us?

Recent polls suggest we want a public option.

* The memo cited a CBS poll from September 1st, saying it found strong support for action. What does it say on the public plan? Sixty percent support, 34% oppose.

* The memo cited a CNN poll done through August 31st, saying it found deep public dismay with the system. What does it say on the public plan? Fifty-five percent support, 41% oppose.

* The memo cited a Kaiser poll from August 11th, saying it found overwhelming support for consumer protections. What does it say on the public plan? Fifty nine percent support, 38% oppose.

So, what does the White House do with that information? It lies to you, just like our former president did all the time.

Okay, so the White House is circulating an upbeat polling memo citing a bunch of public surveys showing that public opinion still tilts heavily in Obama’s favor on health care.

The memo, by Obama pollster Joel Benenson, doesn’t mention the public option (the White House may not be committed to it) and largely cites general numbers showing support for action and for Obama’s plan.

It's embarrassing how horrible of a president Obama is turning out to be. I didn't think he was liberal, but I also didn't think he was an incompetent idiot bought by corporations.

The White House memo did cite one poll that didn’t find majority support for the public option: An MSNBC poll that found only 43% support for it. But that’s the one that generated all that controversy because it didn’t tell respondents that the public plan was a “choice.”

To be clear, it’s not surprising that the White House wouldn’t include these numbers, since it’s currently weighing whether to ditch the public option. But the fact that the very same polls the White House is citing also show very strong support for the public option should tell the White House something, shouldn’t it?

Yes, it is. And he's a giant pile of crap. This is going to be a long 3 years. And I mean 3, because he's going to get his ass handed to him next time around. Fucking off your base is a recipe for a crushing.

6 comments:

Astolphe said...

Seriously, he voted for the FISA bill when he was a senator, he pretty much showed his true colors then. I’m disappointed but I can hardly say I was surprised. Unless he does something to seriously impress me in the next three years (and I seriously doubt it) he’s not getting my vote next election.

Dave Anthony said...

I was against voting for him because of the FISA bill, but all the bullshit, including Sarah Palin forced me to vote for him.

I just didn't think he was the type to go against the will of the people. It takes a special kind of asshole to do what he is doing.

Astolphe said...

I was going to vote for him all along, but it was mainly a case of the choosing of the lesser of two evils. When McCain was nominated I just had a bad feeling about him and the campaign pretty much proved me right. After FISA I pretty much knew Obama was nothing more than the standard issue shit-bag politician but I thought at least he would follow through on a few of his promises; and if the only one was healthcare it would have been fine with me. My father died of cancer when I was 16 and since the insurance company refused to pay for all of his medical bills my mother had to file bankruptcy. Twenty-two years later my family as a whole is just starting to recover. I’m still majorly pissed off that single payer was never on the table to begin with. My mother is on Medicare, she fell a couple of month ago and severely bruised a rib. Of course the hospital bill was pretty much taken care of. If that happened to me I’d be totally fucked because the insurance at work pretty much won’t pay for anything; it’s basically useless. Not to mention that she’s a diabetic and gets most of her supplies for free. I’m just wondering if I ever see the day when we actually elect someone who will do what he says.

Dave Anthony said...

That's horrible. My sister is about to have to sell her home to pay for heart surgery for my nephew. Her husband lost his construction job and Cobra ran out. He can't go on hers because it's a pre-existing condition.

The American dream: Sell your home to save your child's life.

libhom said...

Obama's poll numbers have been going down for some time now. The corporate media is making it sound like he is losing centrist support, but I'm sure a lot of the support he's losing is on the left.

elaine said...

I feel like Obama is just trying desperately to reach across party lines and appease the Right, but most of those folks are never going to be happy unless he suddenly becomes a white republican. Instead, he needs to keep his base happy and do what we elected him to do.