The Democrats and progressive activist groups that support health care reform need to rethink their approach to getting health care reform passed. If they do manage to keep the pressure on Democratic legislators and get something passed through Congress without finding a way to shore up support for reform among independents, these groups will find in the upcoming general election that they have won one battle at the expense of a severe set back in the ongoing war to improve the nation’s health care system.
What’s at stake is control of both houses of Congress. Right now, Democratic majorities look like they are in severe jeopardy this coming November, in part because the Party has failed to convince independent voters that the kind of health care reform they are pushing in Congress is equitable and meaningful to the average family.
Part of the reason for this is that, grass roots organizations and Democrats pushing for reform have focused mainly on getting hardcore Democrat supporters to keep pressure on Congress, while ignoring the concerns and desires of independent families. The Republicans have stepped into this informational void and effectively stoked concerns about health care reform by raising the spectre of the rationing of health care (this is the subtext of the term “socialized medicine”).
Those who want to see health care reform continue then, need to realize that the long-term battle is a two-front war, and, while they need to keep applying pressure to Democratic legislators, a concerted effort must also be made to convince independent voters that health care reform will be meaningful to them.
This will be a difficult task considering how much time has been lost and how effectively the Republican message machine has operated so far. But it is still possible to reverse the tide of public sentiment. This can be done by spreading basic information and effective propaganda about how health care reform will benefit the average family that already has some form of health insurance.
A good start would be a graphic illustration of how the proposed reform will lower premiums for the independent consumer of health insurance, and how those premiums compare with the cost of insurance on the market today. Commercials also need to be created that tap into primal fears about what’s at stake for a family's financial and physical health if nothing is done.
I made something that I think might be more effective than the things that have been shown on tv so far, especially those lame Harry and Louise ads that say nothing. It's kind of basic, but you'll get the idea.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1vMjq4WZnc.
Taking on the Republican message machine is the only way that we are going to be able to get real and meaningful health care reform to continue after the elections this fall. Remember, most people don't listen to rational arguments, they react on emotion, and we need to find some way to communicate with them on that level.