Quote:
Originally Posted by ernie
The way US politics works is that there isn't really some sort of party whip to vote the way the party wants. That's good and bad. It's good because in many instances the senator or congressman actually listens to to constituents. It's bad because you can get excessive pork added to bills to buy votes and a broad party vision doesn't exist. I truly believe Obama has a vision as every president does...the parties simply don't buy into the vision at times. IMO, the healthcare is one change they needed people to buy into things for the eventual greater good but too many were concerned with lining pockets and getting re-elected.
The bill was watered down not to get Republicans to vote for it but to get Democrats to vote for it. The healthcare revolution hasn't happened in the states like it did most everywhere else decades ago. In the states it is ingrained in far too many people that healthcare is a privilege and not a right. Many people firmly believe that the only thing universal healthcare will do is cause more lazy people to collect welfare checks now that they don't have to work to pay hospital bills (I'm not kidding. I wish I was).
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I know all that.
The fact is Obama pressured the progressive Democrats who were in favor of the public option rather than putting any pressure on the "moderate" Democrats, who weren't needed for the vote. All they had to do was not join a Republican filibuster. Then they had a chance to push it through in the budget, where filibustering is not allowed and again failed to do so. Obama didn't want the public option.