Day: June 29, 2009

Will Dems Ever Find Their Spine?

The best answer for now is–it is very doubtful.  With the most recent election there was such hope…the Dems had a good majority in Congress and a prez that was talking change and progress.  But 5 months into the new presidency and what was happened–the Dems have lost what little spine that had in the first place.

Take health care….why are so many Dems back off the idea of universal health care?  It is not because the people are against….that poll shows that over 70% of the voters want a health care plan.  Then why are they dragging their feet on health care, after all they have a great majority and could pull a GW move and force their programs through the Congress….then why are they so timid?

Could it be that they do not want to offend their campaign contributors?  That makes more sense than any of the other reasons I have heard.

Recently Kaiser Health News wrote:

“Almost 30 key lawmakers helping draft landmark health-care legislation have financial holdings in the industry, totaling nearly $11 million worth of personal investments in a sector that could be dramatically reshaped by this summer’s debate,” The Washington Post reports. The list of members includes “Congress’s most powerful leaders and a bipartisan collection of lawmakers in key committee posts.” For example, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., “has at least $50,000 invested in a health-care index” (fund), and Sen. Judd Gregg, R-NH, “a senior member of the health committee, has between $254,000 and $560,000 worth of stock holdings in major health-care companies, including Bristol-Myers Squibb and Merck.” The data was part of a “release of financial disclosure forms for the House and Senate” on Friday.

“While no congressional rules bar members from holding financial stakes in industries they regulate, some ethics experts suggest that it often creates the appearance of a conflict of interest, particularly if there is a chance that the legislation could result in a personal financial boost.” But at “nearly 20%” of the national economy, “many legal experts say the health-care industry is so predominant that it is impossible for lawmakers to avoid financial ties to that sector, suggesting that the best antidote is a clear disclosure system that makes every lawmaker’s finances publicly available.”

I have suggesdted that someone in the mainstream media publish a list of the politicians that have received money from the health industry and then publish the vote on any health issues and see who votes where.  I suspect that the health industry has bought many friends and they will now repay them for their generosity.

The Dems have had NO spine for many years and now they have a chance to redeem themselves inb the eyes of the voter and yet they waffle.  I have heard many so called “liberal” politicians waffle ….Feinstein has said “we may not have the votes” on health issues and then Daschle has said “we will have to trim federal health programs”.

They were so close to having a spine and yet so far away.

Rational Ignorance Effect

Ever since the election in November 0f 2008, many people, bloggers and journalists have been trying to explain thye actions of the GOP.  We have heard that they are a dying party or that they are not in touch with the feelings of the voter.  No matter which or what you think is happening to the GOP there is one thing to keep in mind….they are professionals and they are pretty good at the game of politics.

So what is the reason that the GOP is appearing so weak?

First of all, the American people on an individual basis, realizes that their single vote is unlikely to determine the outcome of anything.  For this reason they do not spend too much time researching to get the reliable information they need.  The voter relies heavily on the media for their information and in these days of cable they look for those channels and reports that will reinforce their beliefs in the world view.

The voter lacks incentive to cast an informed vote.  Therefore FOX and MSNBC form their knowledge of any given situation.  Most voters will be rationally uninformed on many issues.  They wilkl depend on political information suppliers like the mass media to the issues that are of personal importance.

This situation has a name….it is called the “Rational Ignorance Effect”

In my opinion this is what the GOP is employing in their attacks on Obama.  They use buzzwords that have no real place in the conversation with the hope that political ignorance will play in their favor.

If one needs an illustration then I say just take a long hard look at the last “Tea Party” protests…..they were billed about the outrage in Obama tax increases….but if anyone bothered to check there were few if any tax increases.  Basically it was just a ploy to get people lavered up and go out and bash the president.  It was NEVER about raising taxes.

Some will say that the “Rational Ignorance Effect” is losing some of its validity…..because to the popularity of the internet……I say that is not completely accurate……voters will use the internet like they use the media….they will find information that supports their world view.  For that reason, Rational Ignorance Effect is still as valid as it ever was.