Selling Health Care & an Election

Welcome back...
Well the 'death panels' are now a thing of the past (whew!) as President Obama sought to reassure the American people Wednesday night, that 'change' is not scary. Did it work? That depends on who he is targeting with his message.

First, he had to shore up the Democrats' base - which has been splitting at the seams of late over the 'public option'. I interpreted his message as "a public option if necessary but not necessarily a public option." Okay that will help.

Secondly, he tried to swing the independent vote by reassuring them that if they like their health insurance plan, then they can keep it - no problemo! Then he promised that he would not run a deficit - not even a penny! Ever! Wow! And he won't raise taxes to do it. Double wow! And half the $900 billion cost will come from cutting waste and mismanagement in medicaid. Triple wow! Incidentally, nearly all politicians claim that they can do that, but that's the first time I ever heard that there was that much waste. If all that doesn't get the independents' vote then nothing will.

Thirdly, he sought to reassure seniors who had been frightened by scare tactics about 'death panels' managed by bureaucrats to decide whether grandma or grandad will get treatment or not. Take that Sarah Palin!

As expected he connected emotionally with the Senators and Congressmen in the room by sharing a letter that Sen. Ted Kennedy had written him, but only delivered to him by Vicky Kennedy after his death.

So was it an effective speech? In a word, yes! He hit the mark and he did it with that combination of cool and passionate that very few can do. He continually positioned himself as the moderate between the 'extremes' of the left and right. [Canada's single payer system being on the left, and the big bad mean health insurance companies and their fellow ideologues of the status quo on the right.]

However, it was far from being a perfect speech. He seemed to go out of his way in places to be partisan when a number of lawmakers were seeking the spirit of bipartisanship. So in my view, some of that was superfluous to his central message - that the status quo is no longer acceptable and he is determined to get the job done.

With regard to Canada's health care system, it is not perfect of course. In fact, many Canadians have a lot of frustration with aspects of it. However, one of the few things that unites Canadians is criticism of it from another country. A former Prime Minister (one Jean Chretien)famously said, 'Canada has the best mediocre health care system in the world." Another time he said, "It's not a Cadillac..it's a Chevrolet." [That was of course before GM was taken over by the government, but I digress...]

In terms of the battle for media coverage, the President's speech was quickly taken off the front page and replaced by the 'you lie' call-out from South Carolina's Rep. Joe Wilson (R).

It gave the President a chance to sound both conciliatory and Presidential the next day, but it did divert the water-cooler talk the next day. The Republican leadership wisely moved quickly to make him apologize and distance themselves from him. But the Republican brand took a hit last night. As you can see here, Mr. Obama took full advantage of the opportunity it presented him, to call for a civil debate. Hey take the gifts when they come your way, right?

Meanwhile in Canada...the election call gets closer and closer...

Prime Minister Harper gave Michael Ignatieff a golden opportunity to gain some political traction when this video was handed to the Liberals, and then to the media, by a student at a Tory gathering [closed to the media]. The talk of a 'majority' had been avoided scrupulously in previous elections, but it will now have to be front and centre. So the PM ought to take these eggs and make an omelette! Selling more uncertainty has probably lived out its usefulness on the political landscape anyway.

Gentle American readers, in Canada it's usually politically damaging to suggest that (gasp) you might want or need a majority government. Even if the country has had the instability of three elections in four years due to the instability of minority governments...

The rule there of course is that 'there's no such thing as off the record' and the earlier that lesson is reinforced for the Conservatives the better for their chances in the seemingly inevitable election to be called within a few weeks. [PREDICTION]

In the scheme of things, it's probably not too significant, except that it will perhaps embolden Mr. Ignatieff even further towards the point of no return!

Finally, Remembering 9/11 Eight Years Later

September 11, 2009 marks the 8th anniversary of the 9/11 tragedy and hopefully we mark it with thoughts and prayers for the victims and their families. You have not been forgotten. I vividly remember where I was on 9/11. Laura and I were about to do a seminar for about a dozen senior judges from the Federal Courts across the country. We were stunned by the television pictures and, even though we didn't want to stop watching, I suggested that we begin our seminar and then later we would come back to it to see what happened. That took every ounce of effort on everyone's part, but it was instinctively trying to find some semblance of sanity when you knew suddenly that the world had gone completely mad.

A few days later, Ambassador Paul Cellucci and Prime Minister Chretien, along with 100,000 Canadians with tears in their eyes went to Parliament Hill to express their deepest sorrow for the victims and for the solidarity that Canada felt for the United States in its time of shock and devastation. It was a profoundly powerful experience.

So how do you put to words what that day meant? Here are the lyrics to the Alan Jackson song, Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning) that have always got to me when I think of that day. How about you?

"Where Were You (When The World Stopped Turning)" Words and music by Alan Jackson

Where were you when the world stopped turning that September day
Out in the yard with your wife and children
Working on some stage in LA
Did you stand there in shock at the site of
That black smoke rising against that blue sky
Did you shout out in anger
In fear for your neighbor
Or did you just sit down and cry

Did you weep for the children
Who lost their dear loved ones
And pray for the ones who don't know
Did you rejoice for the people who walked from the rubble
And sob for the ones left below

Did you burst out in pride
For the red white and blue
The heroes who died just doing what they do
Did you look up to heaven for some kind of answer
And look at yourself to what really matters

I'm just a singer of simple songs
I'm not a real political man
I watch CNN but I'm not sure I can tell you
The difference in Iraq and Iran
But I know Jesus and I talk to God
And I remember this from when I was young
Faith hope and love are some good things he gave us
And the greatest is love

Where were you when the world stopped turning that September day
Teaching a class full of innocent children
Driving down some cold interstate
Did you feel guilty cause you're a survivor
In a crowded room did you feel alone
Did you call up your mother and tell her you love her
Did you dust off that bible at home
Did you open your eyes and hope it never happened
Close your eyes and not go to sleep
Did you notice the sunset the first time in ages
Speak with some stranger on the street
Did you lay down at night and think of tomorrow
Go out and buy you a gun
Did you turn off that violent old movie you're watching
And turn on "I Love Lucy" reruns
Did you go to a church and hold hands with some stranger
Stand in line and give your own blood
Did you just stay home and cling tight to your family
Thank God you had somebody to love

I'm just a singer of simple songs
I'm not a real political man
I watch CNN but I'm not sure I can tell you
The difference in Iraq and Iran
But I know Jesus and I talk to God
And I remember this from when I was young
Faith hope and love are some good things he gave us
And the greatest is love

I'm just a singer of simple songs
I'm not a real political man
I watch CNN but I'm not sure I can tell you
The difference in Iraq and Iran
But I know Jesus and I talk to God
And I remember this from when I was young
Faith hope and love are some good things he gave us
And the greatest is love

The greatest is love
The greatest is love

Where were you when the world stopped turning that September day?

Let's pause and remember, and keep a little perspective. Life is to be cherished.
Barry

Selling Health Care Reform Obama-Style

Welcome back
Well how did you like the opening episode of Mad Men, Season 3? As usual Matt Weiner had an incredible eye for not only the look and feel of the early 60s [how would I know right?] but he can say more with no dialogue than any other show on television.

As promised I was up early Monday morning to be on the CBC Radio Show, The Current, along with Liberal MP Martha Hall Findlay and ex-liberal MP Carolyn Parish. We were exploring why Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff and his party are still trailing Stephen Harper and the Conservatives by 2% in the polls.

Check it out to see how we did:

http://www.cbc.ca/thecurrent/2009/200908/20090817.html

The Selling of Health Care Reform

As with all of you I've been watching how the health care reform legislation is being
'debated' in town halls by Senators, Congressmen and the President himself. Without arguing the actual issue, here are five factors which are working against Mr. Obama:

1. The political zeitgeist has shifted in the past six months - from 'quick throw all the money you can at our problems now and it will help kick-start the economy' to 'hey, who's going to pay for all this?" That's a very different question which an extra trillion dollars added onto the debt doesn't seem to address.[I mentioned this in the above interview.]

2. The key principle of persuasion is 'sell the problem before you sell the solution." It sounds like 70% of the American public are not convinced they have a problem with their health care - at least not enough to embrace the sweep of the proposed changes.

3. In public discourse, heat always cancels out 'light'. Mr. Obama is spending as much time clarifying the distortions and allegations as he is promoting the benefits of change to those who already have insurance. Talk radio and cable news love these angry, heated exchanges - amplifying the noise level so that clear messages aren't getting through.

4. Be careful about changing horses in mid-stream. The Obama Administration is starting to waffle on 'the public option' - signaling that he's ready to throw in the towel on government insurance and replacing it with 'co-operatives'. Hhmm...this could serve to divide supporters and embolden the critics, who now figure, "if we keep hammering away, maybe he'll drop the whole thing."

5. Town halls are the worst of the available vehicles to discuss 'risk' issues in which emotions are high and facts are cloudy. Other forms of public consultations - such as facilitated meetings, kiosks set up at information nights etc. are more preferable, but the President can't tell Senators how to consult their own people.

6. The well-financed forces are pushing back hard with extensive television advertising. Only now are we seeing the Administration and its supporters fighting back. Is it all too late?

7. From all accounts, it did not develop as a bi-partisan initiative, so there is no vested stakes to support it by Republicans or independents. As well, rather than proceed on a piece-meal basis, he served up the largest change he could possible deliver - risking his political capital in a must-win issue. Change is almost always accepted on a gradual basis, rather than an all-at-once change of these proportions.

The result is, that it's no longer about health care; it's now a heated debate about foundational values, such as 'freedom', 'government control of our lives'. If President Obama is going to regain control of the issue, he is going to have to cool out the rhetoric and calmly focus on how everyday Americans will benefit from this reform initiative.

Hey, whaddya say - maybe President Obama needs to chill in Chilmark? Then he can come back and see how he can move it forward.

If you've seen any of those wild town hall meetings and wondered how you would handle it, here's a great piece by John Baldoni on how to speak to an unruly crowd. Check it out:

http://blogs.harvardbusiness.org/baldoni/2009/08/how_to_speak_to_an_unruly_crow.html

Until next time!
Barry

P.S. With this posting we say good-bye to our executive assistant, Jessica Jolliffe, who is joining the federal government. We will miss her in her career journey but we wish her good fortune!