Was Obama's Healthcare the biggest blunder & missed opportunity for a Dem?

[ApatheticAustrian]

Runter? That's not a word.

meant "run"

if you write fast your mixes 2 languages.

anyway...

[Attorney General, LGC Speaker, and Former PPT Dwarven Dragon]

Then no. I mean, a politician is free to say that, but it's not true.

[Shadows]

Obama literally never campaigned on singlepayer. What an outrageous lie.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fpAyan1fXCE - Obama - "I am an advocate for Single Payer" during the initial primaries. Ofcourse he totally backtracked after the primaries !

[Shadows]

While it is true that Obama's first few years were spent as a terribly optimistic negotiator against a party that saw him as the incarnation of evil, a bigger part of the blame can be put at the feet of the Democratic establishment for imposing people like Joe Lieberman upon the people of Connecticut against the will of their own base, then they have the gall to claim "we need to be realistic, single payer is not getting passed"... of course it's not, you people made sure of that! Don't even get me started on their refusal to nuke the filibuster, which would have made all those issues moot in the first place, but no it can't be done they say.

Conservative Dems were always around, even during LBJ's term but he passed Medicare & Medicaid despite massive opposition, even more than Republicans with ACA ! If LBJ could do it, why not Obama ?

[Mr. Smith]

While it is true that Obama's first few years were spent as a terribly optimistic negotiator against a party that saw him as the incarnation of evil, a bigger part of the blame can be put at the feet of the Democratic establishment for imposing people like Joe Lieberman upon the people of Connecticut against the will of their own base, then they have the gall to claim "we need to be realistic, single payer is not getting passed"... of course it's not, you people made sure of that! Don't even get me started on their refusal to nuke the filibuster, which would have made all those issues moot in the first place, but no it can't be done they say.

Conservative Dems were always around, even during LBJ's term but he passed Medicare & Medicaid despite massive opposition, even more than Republicans with ACA ! If LBJ could do it, why not Obama ?

LBJ knew all the ins and outs before he became President, Hillary or Joe would've too.

Pity the Elector/Delegate heavy Midwest were more swayed by mere catchphrases.

[Badger]

While it is true that Obama's first few years were spent as a terribly optimistic negotiator against a party that saw him as the incarnation of evil, a bigger part of the blame can be put at the feet of the Democratic establishment for imposing people Joe Lieberman upon the people the people of Connecticut against the will of their own base, then they have the gall to claim "we need to be realistic, single payer is not getting passed"... of course it's not, you people made sure of that! Don't even get me started on their refusal to nuke the filibuster, which would have made all those issues moot in the first place.

Yes, that is right. It was Lieberman and Nelson who killed both the public option, and lowering the age of Medicare.

But wasn't it primarily Lieberman leading the charge (after his wife was given a job worth millions as a health care industry lobbyist), and Nelson simply followed him off the reservation? I had the impression that Lieberman was the true weak link/Judas for the public option.

[Frodo]

I am not convinced that single-payer is such a good idea, especially given our limited experience with single-payer (i.e., the Indian Health Service and Veterans Health Administration) has left much to be desired.

[Minnesota Mike]

He got passed what could be passed.  It was basically a Republican alternative to Hillary's plan in the 90s.  It was immensely better than the status quo...and if people had an interest in making it work, it can work.

That said, I support single payer.

[Lief 🗽]

Obama literally never campaigned on singlepayer. What an outrageous lie.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fpAyan1fXCE - Obama - "I am an advocate for Single Payer" during the initial primaries. Ofcourse he totally backtracked after the primaries !

No, he released and ran on a plan similar to the ACA during the primaries. Clinton and him debated these plans in the debates. He never ran on implementing singlepayer, and Obama arguably ran to the right of Clinton in the primaries on healthcare.

You must be logged in to read this quote.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/obama-unveils-universal-health-care-plan/

You must be logged in to read this quote.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/04/opinion/04krugman.html

[henster]

If it included the public option it would've been a lot more popular and avoided the issue of counties especially rural ones having only one insurer. Public option + limited Medicare buy in would've taken in the sicker pool and prevented some of the huge premium hikes we've seen.

[Meclazine for Israel]

Obama was kind of stuck in the middle of an ugly political deadlock.

I would not hold him to account for that.