When I speak to friends, colleagues and voters about health care, I tell them about a group they never suspected would believe so steadfastly in the plan offered by Obama: Republicans!
It may come as a surprise to many Kossacks and Democrats, but on a very deep level, Republicans have far greater belief in the potential effectiveness of the Obama health plan with public option than many Democrats do. They KNOW it would be great, They believe it would be exceptionally effective and expertly administered. In fact, they are so convinced it will be great (they suspect and fear that it will become the new ‘third rail’ of American politics), they will take literally any measure to keep it from passing. They believe that if quality health care is available to everyone )and, thus, people have a chance to realize how important it is to them to have a permanent health care safety net), that they’ll never be able to rescind it, just as they have been unable to effectively derail social security since the administration of Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
More below the fold.
How do I know Republicans believe this? Because of their cowardly actions during this fight. They have been at pains to promote every imaginable lie and distortion about the plan, throwing them all against a wall in the desperate hope that something might ‘stick.’ Why would they have such desperation, if they believe their absurd propaganda? The answer is simple. They don’t believe ANY of their own propaganda. NONE of it. If they believed it, their course would be simple.
During Lyndon Johnson’s administration, Congress passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
As wikipedia recounts it (from the link cited above):
Johnson told Kennedy aide Ted Sorensen that "I know the risks are great and we might lose the South, but those sorts of states may be lost anyway."[17] Senator Richard Russell, Jr. warned President Johnson that his strong support for the civil rights bill "will not only cost you the South, it will cost you the election."[18] The South indeed started to vote increasingly Republican after 1964.
Indeed, in hindsight, it seems that the vote cost the South for a good deal longer than one generation.
Well, what does that have to do with Republican political strategy on health care?
If Republicans truly believed the manure they’ve been spreading about the health plan, they would drop all obstructionist opposition to the plan, and let it pass. Why? Because their prophecies coming true would represent the greatest political victory in generations. If they believed in those prophecies, their collective political futures would be absolutely secured, for much more than a generation. They don’t believe in them, however. They know beyond doubt that the health plan with the public option is the REAL DEAL. It’s the only thing that could deter them from taking the opportunity to take over every state and the country in the process. They would win in a walk. If they were confident, if they had the courage of their convictions. But they don’t. Instead, they operate from the cowardice of their convictions. THEY believe in the health plan with the public option more than many Democrats do. The voters will understand that, too. If they are reminded of LBJ and how Democrats lost the South for more than a generation, they can appreciate the power and insight of the argument.
You can see it in the desperation of their distortions, in the near hysteria those distortions convey. They make no pretense at being rational or thoughtful. They want more than anything for Obama to hang himself, in political terms, but they don’t have the confidence to give him the rope. Spread the word.
On to tonight's comments!
From lineatus:
Truther Diary, Content Deleted" is always a fertile ground for Top Comments, as CornSyrupAwareness proves!
From Mayim:
Blue Aardvark's reply to Thomas Paine redux's comment in Pablito's diary on what Stabenow said to Kyl made me smile. (There were many other good comments in that diary, including Vicky's (here) and Gatorcog's (here), which would provide good background fodder for discussions with those on the fence on health care reform.)
From Kitty:
Please consider this comment from nokona as the Top Comment of the Day!
From sardonyx:
Giles Goat Boy takes a climate-change-denier's statement to its logical conclusion.
In Maimonides's thought-provoking diary Obama's 11-D Chess & Rahm's Big F-ing Mess, vadasz talks about strategizing and attacking.
My picks:
DBunn describes the two ways to arrive at 'top comments.' ;)
I have always been a fan of diaries in comments. Try this one from Rimjob to see if you agree!
BigTex on Wolf Blitzer. ;)
sardonyx provides an insight I have had many times, but which cannot be publicized enough for Top Comments. When you find great comments, share them please!
Please add your own picks below.
Top Mojo tonight, courtesy of brillig! (Please tip below! )
Top 30 Comments excluding tip jars, first comments and stuff:
1) Kyle's attitude is symptomatic of the GOP's... by Thomas Paine Redux — 238
2) And Wolf Blitzer .. by Calvin Jones and the 13th Apostle — 194
3) It never occurred to him that he should CARE. by sherlyle — 193
4) Well, by his argument by slapshoe — 155
5) Didn't you get the memo? by sharman — 137
6) woofie went unarmed to a battle of wits by dougymi — 120
7) this is hilarious! by Julie Gulden — 118
8) The Full Palin...heh... by grannyhelen — 113
9) Agree that his writers are the best in all of by dotster — 111
10) thank you by lisastar — 110
11) I'm just going to go out on a limb here, by jazzmaniac — 101
12) Wolfie a major FAIL on Jeopardy, stooooopid! by pvmuse — 92
13) Tom Coburn's reply on PBS last night by gatorcog — 88
14) chances are those aren't her soda-drinking kids by primarydoc — 86
15) What pisses me off the most by rb608 — 80
16) Well- geeze-- who would know this? by Zulia — 78
17) End subsidies for corn & corn syrup by FishOutofWater — 72
18) MoT. I saw this on Olbermann by blue jersey mom — 71
19) MUST the successful sell out? by Judge Moonbox — 71
20) Moore's answer was brilliant by Dallasdoc — 69
21) Agreed. I have little repect for Katie by SnowItch — 68
22) To quote Al Franken by Wes Opinion — 67
23) It's pretty transparent, by Crashing Vor — 67
24) Terrific diary Tainith by leftynyc — 67
25) She should have finished with by captainlaser — 63
26) Dear Professor Lacewell, by pamelabrown — 60
27) Jumping in with part 2 of the interview... by Josiah Bartlett — 59
28) He's too damn good. He scares them. by FishOutofWater — 59
29) Bleeding Penises are always emergencies... by Bonsai66 — 59
30) As Limbaugh said to Leno, by Eryk — 58
Top 30 (plus ties) Comments with no exclusions, aka the Tip Jar list :-):
1) Tip Jar by pablito — 550
2) Tips for Stephen by Muzikal203 — 481
3) Tips, sweet tips. by Crashing Vor — 425
4) Tip Jar by the girl — 353
5) Tip Jar by RandySF — 349
6) Tip Jar by stef — 313
7) Tips for ENDING SLAVERY! by MinistryOfTruth — 268
8) Tip Jar by Patriot Daily News Clearinghouse — 244
9) Kyle's attitude is symptomatic of the GOP's... by Thomas Paine Redux — 238
10) Tip Jar by Melissa Harris Lacewell — 210
11) Tip Jar by Jill Richardson — 200
12) Tip Jar by dissonantdissident — 198
13) And Wolf Blitzer .. by Calvin Jones and the 13th Apostle — 194
14) It never occurred to him that he should CARE. by sherlyle — 193
15) Auden said it best by kid oakland — 167
16) Well, by his argument by slapshoe — 155
17) Tip Jar by Black Kos — 144
18) Didn't you get the memo? by sharman — 137
19) Tip Jar by slinkerwink — 137
20) Tip Jar by AmericasVoice — 130
21) Mojo Mug by TexDem — 125
22) woofie went unarmed to a battle of wits by dougymi — 120
23) this is hilarious! by Julie Gulden — 118
24) The Full Palin...heh... by grannyhelen — 113
25) Agree that his writers are the best in all of by dotster — 111
26) thank you by lisastar — 110
27) TGIF Folks!!! by Tainith — 109
28) The Lounge is Open by TexDem — 104
29) I'm just going to go out on a limb here, by jazzmaniac — 101
30) Mojo Friday Wants You by TexDem — 100
31) Tip Jar by Gangster Octopus — 100
Thanks for visiting tonight!