Trillion Dollar Government Programs Will Tank Democratic Support

[Baked Potato]

Last edited Sat Nov 2, 2019, 08:00 PM - Edit history (1)

Trillion Dollar Government Programs Will Tank Democratic Support

Baked Potato
2019

Divulging details of complicated plans require detailed answers, and detailed answers beg more detailed questions, and on and on. Then, the details are used as a wedge issue against the other candidates and Democrats. It will all break down into a confusing message and infighting. We must be smart in our tactics, and too much detail causes divisions.

Americans want to trust their leaders to generally do what they want from them. Americans want Security and Happiness and Togetherness. We need to convince Americans that Republicans divide us, make us less safe and secure and therefore less happy and cohesive. Americans have much more in common than Republicans want to admit because they exploit the smallest disagreements for political gain.

The biggest challenge now is to win the Presidency via the Electoral College. Trump needs to be stomped in the states we lost last time, but should’ve won. We need to expand the Party in Middle America. Millions of extra votes in bright blue states sounds good, but does nothing towards winning. Getting a Senate majority is also a must or virtually nothing will get done. The last thing Republicans will give Democrats is a *win*, on any issue.

I believe it was a tactical mistake to introduce minute details at this time of such a behemoth Government program as proposed by Senator Warren. The average Joe and Jane will get lost in the details of Billions and Trillions of dollars. The Primaries is a competition and I believe she was juked into revealing her detailed plan, to the benefit of the other candidates who want to improve the ACA.

Bernie knows better than to release all the gory details of huge Government programs. Bernie, on paying for Medicare for All:

From the CNBC Article linked below.

“John Harwood: But you still have more revenue to go to make it fully paid for, yes?

Bernie Sanders: The fight right now is to get the American people to understand that we’re spending twice as much per capita, that of course, we can pay for it. We’re paying it now in a very reactionary, regressive way. I want to pay for it in a progressive way.

You’re asking me to come up with an exact detailed plan of how every American — how much you’re going to pay more in taxes, how much I’m going to pay. I don’t think I have to do that right now.

John Harwood: You think it’s foolish that Senator Warren is trying to?

Bernie Sanders: I’m not saying it’s foolish. All that I’m saying is that we have laid out a variety of options that are progressive. We’ll have that debate. At the end of the day, we will pay for every nickel of Medicare for All, and it will save the overwhelming majority of the American people, who will no longer pay premiums.”

https://www.cnbc.com/2019/10/28/bernie-sanders-lets-not-make-people-overly-nervous-about-socialism.html

Senator Warren admits her plan probably won’t even be passed during her first term. So, we, as a country are going to have a furious slog through this for years?

From the Time article linked below:

“While Warren’s plan embraces the relatively radical idea of Medicare for All—universal, government-funded health care for all Americans—it is hardly a breathless document. Throughout the roughly 9,000-word post, Warren repeatedly reminds supporters of the complexity of actually accomplishing the goal legislatively. She describes Medicare for All as a “long-term goal” four times and reminds readers that it likely won’t happen in a single term: “it is possible to eventually move to a Medicare for All system,” the document says.

“Of course, moving to this kind of system will not be easy and will not happen overnight,” Warren’s plan reads. “This is why every serious proposal for Medicare for All contemplates a significant transition period.”

https://time.com/5716535/warren-medicare-for-all-paid-for/

I realize Senator Warren, and the other candidates want to pick issues to differentiate and stand out. Primary voters want an idea of where each candidate stands on issues. But, M4A should have been tested and gauged better before it was rolled out as a major issue to campaign on. A better strategy would have been to say the ACA will be revitalized, strengthened and improved and M4A would be seriously looked into in due time. Of course, that’s not what happened, but that’s politics.

There is a window in time right now in American politics. This window is open to get new constituents in the party. First impressions are lasting. A giant, costly, complicated plan for medical care is not a good first step impression. The plan instantly divides Americans via socio-economic lines and will cause caustic debates. It reinforces the myth that all Democrats want to do is be takers and not makers.

Just as the country needed a President like President Obama at the point in time we elected him, I believe in this point in time we need a more pragmatic approach to our governance. The damage Trump has done domestically and worldly is deep and devastating. We need a national healing and resurgence of unification. We don’t need an instant wedge issue like a total overhaul of the healthcare system from day one.

On a personal note: I love wonkiness. I love Rachel and thrive on details. There is a lesson I have learned regarding instructing and informing people: You must always teach and relate to the least sophisticated person. We must have basic and easy to understand positions on every issue.

[wellst0nev0ter]

1. This is 2019, not 2010

Democrats don't have to be scared of their own shadow when it comes to healthcare reform, like they did the last time.

[Baked Potato]

3. Scared? Do you remember how hard it was to pass the ACA?

And the ACA even survived a Supreme Court challenge. Only clever exploits of tiny loopholes in law have rendered it weak.

[BlueWI]

2. Meh.

If we were that certain how to win elections, we wouldn't have a President Trump.

This is the primaries, and more Democrats than usual support big scale solutions. Compromise solutions are essential to governance, but if we don't publicly imagine and discuss policies that fully address social problems, there is no chance to build public support for changes that move the needle.

This includes the climate issue. 6-12 years till catastrophic impact, and Biden at least is proposing carbon neutral grid by 2050. Not sure of Kloubuchar's stance, but how does a moderate approach meet the moment on that issue? At some point, you address the problem or you don't.

MFA is more debatable obviously, but debt relief for college students isn't, IMO. The impacts are severe and solutions are out of sight. The rhetoric of claiming to be the adult in the room has actually soured me on Kloubuchar as a candidate, although I think she's an excellent senator.

I trust the primary process and voters to weigh in and see who's strategy can win in the GE. But to me, moderate approaches serve as Band-Aids when triage is needed.

[Baked Potato]

5. Thanks for your opinion

[Baked Potato]

11. Some information on Senator Klobuchar's climate stance

She looks pretty much on top of the issue.

https://insideclimatenews.org/news/24062019/amy-klobuchar-climate-change-global-warming-election-2020-candidate-profile

https://www.politico.com/story/2019/09/03/amy-klobuchar-climate-change-2020-election-1698490

[BlueWI]

13. Thanks for the link.

Like Biden, her target year for carbon neutral is 2050. That is still leaving most of the job to future administrations, but it's good to advocate for a substantial start. I didn't click to see what the science reasoning is - if these actions are quick enough to prevent a 2 degree Celsius warmup. But as a co-sponsor of the Green New Deal, that's a good thing.

[ritapria]

4. MFA :"Relatively Radical" ?

Is it radical to adopt a program that every other developed country has been doing several decades ? …. Every year 30,000 people unnecessarily die ; owing to their lack of health insurance .. . The Iraq War claimed the lives of over 5000 Brave Americas ….. Every year 500, 000 people are forced into bankruptcy because they committed the crime of becoming seriously ill …….. For most Americans Taxes go up less than the savings accrued from the elimination of health care costs …………..

[Baked Potato]

8. I don't necessarily agree with that particular choice of words of point

by the writer of that article. I presume legalizing cannabis could be described as “radical”, but legalization is slowly coming around. In this great country, there are deeply held and perceived norms which will be challenged and changed in time, radical as they may be.

[abqtommy]

6. Who do The People run to when the economy needs fixing? Democrats.

Who do The People run to when they need consumer protection? Democrats.

Who do The People run to when they need the ACA/Obamacare? Democrats.

This proves that The People aren't all as stupid or ignorant as the media et al would like us to believe.
We are living in interesting times.

[Baked Potato]

7. Amen!

Democrats ALWAYS do the heavy lifting on everything. Republican leadership is spineless and dependent on the mal-informed and lemmings for support. Along with the greedy moneyed class.

[BootinUp]

9. it won't matter when/if she misses the nom. Nt

[CrispyQ]

10. We need a national campaign to educate the public on Privatized Profits & Socialized Risk.

Privatized Profits & Socialized Risk is not a true capitalistic system. I'm not saying we should never bail out industry, but why is it socialism when we spend taxes on healthcare for We the People, but it's just good business when we bail out the crooked banksters to the tune of trillions of dollars or give billions in subsidies to the oil companies?

Where is the Democratic Party on this message? Why do we let the right get away with blasting socialist programs & claiming that we have a free market system? They call us "tax & spend democrats." Where's our "tax CUT & spend" counter? ~crickets. It's like the dems don't believe in marketing.

[Baked Potato]

12. Yes, our salesmanship and marketing blows!

Like right now the DNC should be running ads backing up what the Speaker and committees are doing with regard to impeachment. If public interest wanes, it will play right into the GOP hands.

I don’t know what folks here think about Donnie Deutsch, but that guy knows Trump and he knows how to get to him, via the media and marketing angles.