What the hell is a "public option?" Could you explain it at a town hall?

[Are_grits_groceries]

You are trying to get a point across to a large group of people who are rowdy and restless. How do you get the message across?

Cut to the chase:

"YOU CHOOSE!"

YOU CHOOSE to keep your present plan.

YOU CHOOSE what doctor you want.

YOU CHOOSE "HelpCare" - a plan run by people who run Medicare.

HelpCare - YOU can choose it if you lose your job and insurance. Know anybody like that?

HelpCare - YOU can choose it if you can't afford private insurance. Know anybody who can't?

HelpCare - YOU can choose it if you lose your coverage because you got sick and were dropped. Know anybody like that?

HelpCare - YOU can choose it if your insurance company won't renew your policy. Know anybody like that?

HelpCare - YOU can choose it if you know you can't afford to pay even if you have insurance. Know anybody who has bills left even after their claims were settled.

HelpCare - YOU can choose it if you want any counseling about "living wills." You choose.

HelpCare - A plan to give you, your children, your neighbors,and your friends a chance to have a doctor, or an operation or a test that may save lives.

HelpCare - A plan to give you and your family affordable and quality medical help if you need it.

Make it personal. Make people think that it is about them and not just somebody else.

You are taking the same message and changing the form in which you present it. You are taking the attention away from the deathers and whoever else.

People have twitterspans these days. They have them in part because there is so much information being thrown at them. We are competing with a brazillion ideas. The other parts of the plan such as how to pay for it will also have to be reframed. Don't worry about losing the battle over semantics. Worry about winning the war for health care.

YOU CHOOSE.

[loyalkydem]

1. Sometimes

Twitter can be a bad thing. It used to be you could debate people and enjoy a good conversation. Now a days I doh't even bother. I would change twitterspans to twitterbrains though.

[tuvor]

2. I'm surprised proponents haven't been using the phrase "freedom of choice".

I mean, it's just so quintessentially "American".

[Wednesdays]

9. That's because the word "choice" is an anathema to the Wingnuts

On the surface, they'll tell you it's because of the abortion thing. In reality, they don't want people having choices about anything.

[patrice]

3. We should have our own town-halls without our "leaders". Debate and Abide by civil rules or leave.

Simple debate formats, like Lincoln-Douglas, would still put information out there for people.

The audience could score the results.

[Are_grits_groceries]

5. I wish it worked like that.

I think at this point we are well past real discussions in town halls. The object is to get across the message in a

way that can be heard.

Yes We Can!

You Choose!

[patrice]

6. You Choose! is an excellent message given the current rhetorical environment.

I will never give up higher expectations, though, because I have seen people (young ones - usually) rise to meet them time after time.

[Are_grits_groceries]

8. I am NOT saying give up on debate and discussion.

I am talking about how to turn this particular horse around or slow it down.

I agree with you, and I also believe that people can meet high expectations. I taught a lot of kids who more than rose to a lot of situations that nobody expected them to.

The message can still be framed that way too. Right now I think we need an alternative to overcome the narrative seen ad infinitum on the MSM.
:hi:

[rucky]

4. A health plan that won't deny you care, and lets doctors make the decisions. n/t

[patrice]

7. I'm going to sign on with this message for any public demonstrations I get to, for the duration. nt

[lwcon]

10. Except the likely "public option" plans don't give you a choice

For example, if your employer offers health insurance, you have to take it. You don't get to choose another plan.

See links here for how slippery a term "public option" is proving to be:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x6258429

[TheKentuckian]

11. The choice thing is just really a marketing type ploy to appeal to rockheads

in order to nudge our zombie like legions to start in the right direction. We're still very Reaganated.

Only the wealthy really get to chose here. Everybody else takes what is offered or the lowest price they can get by with.