RX To Find Consensus on Healthcare /Deficit: The Hidden Ball Trick

Most of the time, this Blog has been political, driven by a desire to remove George W. Bush from office, and later, to elect Barack Obama. Occasionally, the writing was purposefully polemic, forcing the reader to agree or disagree in rather black and white terms. Now, with my party in power, I am more interested in seeking consensus. Although I have taken so much time off, there has been plenty to continue to write about. I have been reading so much about the healthcare debate and how it all relates to the deficit and our growing debt. As you must know, the budget deficit is how much we are in the red year to year, while the national debt is the total bill we pay interest on. I have full confidence that all we need to do is relax. A consensus on healthcare and paying for it is near. While we fret over the banging of pots and pans, President Obama has been focused on the finished meal. In football terms, the line looks stacked against him, but he still has the ball, and he is quietly making his way around the line, and heading for the end zone.

Here’s my take: The Republicans, well, those that are left I guess, have become the party of “No.” There is some sanity to this position. Lacking any leadership, charisma, or much political credibility, they have found a pretty good niche (Continue to use talk radio to get people afraid of socialism and then encourage them to show-up at meetings packing heat and ready to shout). I think the town meetings about healthcare were great therapy for everyone who didn’t vote for Obama. I imagine shouting at that turncoat Arlen Specter was like stacking a bunch of magazines and popping off a few rounds, eh?

Meanwhile the Democrats, well, those that don’t rely on too many swing voters in their districts, have become the party with no apparent limit on the credit card. I do wish the Democrats would raise taxes, especially on the rich, and bring us more in line with the tax base when Clinton was President. Clinton brought in surpluses instead of deficits because of his targeted tax increases.

And then there’s the President; some would say he is going too far spending too much, some would argue he isn’t going far enough, especially with his compromises on healthcare. This must mean he is a sensible person, trying to do what’s best for the country without offending the middle. Which brings us to the current bru ha ha over the President addressing school children and all that outrage in States (mostly Texas) over indoctrination and socialism. Again, like the tea baggers (unfortunate name), and the birthers (creepy name), and the townhall shouters, this latest outrage is all just more group therapy. Those who don't agree with my confidence in our President will tell me that a Gallup Poll from mid-August indicate that more people (49%) disapprove of the President on healthcare, than approve (43%). Ah, I say, the therapy is working! Little distractions allow consensus to be built. That is how our country works. Americans also disapproved of many programs under the New Deal, but F.D.R’s personal numbers stayed high. Americans were suspicious of the Civil Rights Act, but it passed in the wake of a former President’s popular legacy (Kennedy). There might be some distraction causing some confusion on healthcare, but the overall intent to trust him, still exists. I think President Obama is doing just fine, and his numbers, 55% approval – 39% disapproval according to Gallup today, indicate that we who voted for him, still trust in where he is taking us.

Now, look! This was short and sweet, hardly divisive at all. There is consensus to fix healthcare. The President knows that. I feel better, don’t you?