I've seen an awful lot of tea party videos and photos of people holding up signs against "Obamacare." Perhaps the way to reach some of these folks, who are protesting against an idea that will actually help them, would be to change the dialogue. Rather than trying to inform them why healthcare reform would be something they would actually benefit from, an appeal should be made to their sense of patriotism. As it is, when anyone of a progressive nature tries to talk sense to these teabaggers, the only thing registering in their brains is "Obamacare." And "Obamacare" is bad because in their minds, any support for reform would be seen as supporting the platform of "the left" and ultimately, the President. Can't have that, no matter how much effort is put into a bill that would benefit everyone, regardless of party affiliation.
So what would appeal to these people who are bound and deterimed to work against something that would help them? Get them behind a slogan that would give them a sense of doing something good for the country.
What if we renamed the healthcare reform debate to "Patriotcare?"
After all, they were supportive of, if not complacent in, the passing of the Patriot Act, which stripped more Constitutional rights from these freedom lovers than can be counted using all fingers and toes. Why? Because it was the "patriotic" thing to do.
"Patriotcare" would ensure that every single red-blooded American would have adequate health insurance. Every man, woman, and child who make up this great country would be covered. Who among them would decry something as home-made and apple pie-ish as this?
I have a friend who is a teabagger. We agree on many subjects but on politics, we are worlds apart. She attended the recent rally in DC and came back with glowing remarks about how no one was arrested and how there was no trash left behind. I tried to point out the numerous photos of trash left behind, including discarded American flags, but she wouldn't, she couldn't see it. You see, she knows I'm pretty liberal in my views so no matter what I had to say, it was wrong because it went against her conservative mindset. My worldview in the realm of politics is so foreign to hers that there was just no common ground upon which to open a real, considerate dialogue.
As an example, I told her my biggest problem with the teabaggers is this: where have they been? If they are so against government spending, where were they during the past eight years of the previous administration? She says they were there but didn't get the publicity. She then went on to say how protest is a patriotic activity. I concur that we are one of the few countries who can actively protest our government leaders without fear of immediate retribution. However, her recurring theme during our conversation was about being patriotic. She feels that "Obamacare" is another attempt by the government to run the people, rather than the people running the government.
So I've been thinking that we do have at least some common ground in our political views. We both believe we are working in the best interests of the country in supporting our political parties. Therefore, we are both being patriotic. Is there a way to expand on this?
When a travesty occurs in this country, we mostly tend to band together. We band together in rallying behind our sports teams as evidenced by the chants of "USA" at the Olympic games or even in smaller venues such as the Little League World Series.
There is something that stirs deep inside of us when we see the American flag being raised or lowered, or sadly, draped across a coffin. We all share a love for our country, and while it is far from perfect, it is a great place!
If we change the dialogue, taking the partisan stigma away, and start calling healthcare reform "Patriotcare" will that change anything? Will it open up more constructive dialogue with our neighbors who differ in political views? Will it instill a sense that this reform is for everyone?
The way I figure it, most people who are against the healthcare reform proposals haven't read a word of any of the proposals. They don't feel they have to because they are told what to think by the Beck's, Limbaugh's, and Hannity's who are constantly driving the meme of "Obamacare." In their minds, if it's good for the Democrats, then it's bad for them.
Would a simple thing such as changing what reform is called cause any of these listeners to actually crack open the pages and read some of the bills being bandied about?
I am extremely proud of my President. It's been a long time since I've felt so. By proposing a name change, I'm not implying President Obama is not a driving force in this matter. But healthcare reform is desperately needed by every American (whether the choose to admit it or not). So perhaps a more inclusive name would open some eyes and quell some fears.