Seriously Ready for Obamacare Success Stories

by paradox

Reading Paul Krugman this morning fills me with a mounting impatience, for the ability of Republicans to launch whatever fantasy they wish into media space is bad enough, but for whatever small problems or unfairness exist in Obamacare they completely pale in comparison to the lives it will soon save. Those stories can’t some soon enough.

I rarely write about healthcare or the Obamacare implementation, it is not my bailiwick, as they say, far more expert writers and bloggers than I more than capably cover that subject. Also, too, being of the tree-hugging patchouli-wafting pot-smoking fiercely hippie liberal tribe, well, I was hoping for single payer in healthcare reform. Or Medicare at 50, a public option, perhaps?

[sigh]

So there are much better writers out there for Obamacare and it depresses me anyway, but I can say authoritatively from a purely public policy standpoint that States refusing Obamacare out of pure political spite are led by stupid, cruel, unfeeling public policy bastards. You…you…sit there and proclaim to govern, yet will deny millions of federal dollars in healthcare aid that will save lives. Far beyond outrageous and disgusting, this is a public policy stain of filth on our country that will not fade.

Of course all the stories from Obamacare have been in the web implementation and fantasies projected by awful Republican liars, but very soon folks will get insurance and it will save their lives, a doctor will find something preventively that never would have been found without Obamacare, a child’s life will forever be transformed, the life of a senior will be walked in dignity. Just what in the hell are those persons who denied Obamacare in their States going to say then?

Perhaps it is time to think of life outside of your alleged public office. If the actors in your media and political environment do not call out how many lives have been lost because you were so cruelly stupid, well, political and healthcare activists soon will. Lying to journalists to projecting political fantasies has allegedly worked for you so far, but the plain truth of children thriving in California while they suffer and die in Florida will soon by known far and wide, the little people aren’t stupid.

Naturally this is an incredible opportunity for any Democratic politician running against some outrage of a public servant who denied Medicaid expansion into their State. I hear anecdotally from Daily Kos comments that precisely this issue is a driving force in the upcoming Florida governor’s race.

One reason all these Obamacare lies that Krugman traced get launched out there is that the media and political actors in their local environments have insulated them for too long, they think the Fox news audience is the entire American audience, they can lie and there will be no consequence.

Perhaps in our nauseating media environment that will continue to be so, but as the plain numbers mount as to how many lives have been saved from Obamacare I’ll be watching very, very carefully who the real Democrats are in calling their opponents out on it. Anecdotally the converted Charlie Crist in Florida gets it.

The truth for its own sake and the defense of liberal principles demand it, yes. But far exceeding these noble goals is the political one of defending your people when called upon. For the love of baby Jesus and the Union, your political opponent allowed children to die for nothing but stupid cruel spite and you won’t call them out on it?

[opens hands briefly] We shall see. In the moral and political world I come from it’s an absolute no-brainer, a total political and moral necessity, in fact, but perhaps I am mistaken. Perhaps the insulation of fear and contriteness that allowed all the bull stories to be launched out there will simply continue and those politicians who denied Medicare expansion will keep their jobs. I wish you well in your retirement memories and all the lives you could have saved but didn’t.

In the meantime I can take solace in the absolute knowledge that the thrilling, heartwarming stories of saved health and real lives of joy brought about by Obamacare are coming, sure as the sunrise. Not single payer or a public option, but still a very, very good thing that brings me some peace in this life.