I was watching Real Time with Bill Maher last Friday, and Dana Gould had a nice little segment about the two different camps.
The first showed the wingnuts who are pissed. Absolutely pissed, ranting and raving, comparing Obama to Hitler, etc. Because the government was thinking about fixing healthcare.
The second showed the people who needed healthcare but didn't have any so they all patiently waited for their turn at some free health care service being offered. They showed them just waiting their turn and hoping they get seen because they really needed the care.
Dana ended by saying something like - "I don't understand why the people who have stuff are enraged, while the people who have nothing are warm and hopeful. This is Dana Gould saying.... what the f!@%?"
Why are they enraged? It's because it works. The GOP is now under the impression that they are in control. They can say whatever the hell they want about death panels and missing birth certificates and wanting their country back, like in the good ol' days when white people didn't have to take care of poor black people - and they'll win public support for it and get the media to do their bidding!
And so the Democrats of course, not seeing the same kind of enragement (is that a word?) from their side, and playing defense from the start because they foolishly thought the GOP and their evil underlings of misrepresentation would come to the table and bargain in good faith, are now floating the idea of backing down on the public option. As long as health care is reformed. That's the goal, right?
So now on dailykos, we are enraged. So enraged in fact, that some of us are now saying we don't support our president. He is a corporate tool, just like the Republicans. Why put pressure on Baucus? Obama and Sebelius hinted at dropping the public option - meaning there is no hope. He lied to us in the campaign. He is a wuss. What's the point? Throw them out of office, and in 2016, we'll have a shot at a real progressive president who will really beat the GOP.
I'm exaggerating a bit, but this is what I'm seeing. I see people losing faith in their representatives because they expect them to back down as they usually do... But this year, let's do it up as Obama said on the campaign trail last year.
Not. This. Time.
I know this has probably been diaried to death, but I just wanted to remind folks not to back down and lose hope. Fight back.
I won't sit here and guess that this is all Obama's master plan. That Obama is just pretending to want to drop the public option so the left can stand up and fight back. If it is, then great. Let's mobilize, get to those town halls and start pushing back. The MSM has begun to notice this, and I noticed that we were starting to win town halls last week (based on diaries being posted here). If it's not Obama's plan, then screw it, still fight back and hope for the results. I refuse to believe that Obama will not listen if a wave of supporters who believe what he believes in come out in full force and say, "YES WE F@#%ING SHOULD."
As FDR said, "now make me do it." Time to make Obama and the Dems do it.
(Updated - because yes, this should be focused on not just Obama but all the senate and house as well.... Although my point still stands. Don't quit on them.)