Even though the President's short rallying pitch to the faith community yesterday promised to reinvigorate his fight for health care, he's still missing some key points on communicating the message. Yet he can still win this battle.
To best battle the manic propaganda machine now in full gear, the Obama team needs to reframe, streamline and rebrand its health-care message.
As I discovered in researching my new book on the Obama economic agenda -- "The Audacity of Help: Obama's Economic Plan and the Remaking of America" (Bloomberg Press) -- he has got to communicate the specific benefits of the plan.
Americans always vote their wallets, although he hasn't told us how much this is going to cost. How much will a family of four pay? How much will a single mother pay? Will Medicare recipients pay more? To my knowledge, he hasn't really answered these questions.
Then there's the question of branding. What is the plan called? Right now, the message is a mash-up of goals and objectives. That's not streamlined enough to sell it to the electorate.
The vast network of health-care industry operatives, conservative hate-mongers and Sara Palinites successfully launched a counterattack because of the vagueness of the message. Here's how the strategy can be retooled:
- Focus on Choice. I would call the plan something hip like "iChoice." You choose your doctor, hospital, clinic and other providers -- NOT the government or insurers. You keep everyone on the same page and deflect the "government takeover" lie.
- Affordability. No one will ever go broke from this plan -- ever. All Americans will get some sort of coverage that they can afford.
- Universality. Everyone is covered. No questions asked. If you have insurance, you keep it. If you don't have it, you can get it easily.
Most people can pick up three basic points and internalize them quickly.
Unfortunately, the President and his allies have spent far too much time backpedaling and explaining what the plan is NOT than selling the benefits. They have got to be disciplined on message management, but the last few months they have squandered political capital by confusing everyone, including Democrats, seniors and the progressive community.
The Obama team has got further mired in the linguistic mud of the "Public Option." What is it, exactly? Is it an expansion of Medicare or Medicaid? Is it a new Canadian-style plan or something closer to the Swiss model? Even Paul Krugman has to speculate as to what Obama means. The White House has to come clean on this.
Another issue involving message control is what happened during the White House meetings with the pharmaceutical and hospital chieftains. Did Obama promise not to negotiate Wal-mart sized discounts with them if a public option becomes reality? Did he agree NOT to dump the Medicare drug subsidies and managed care components, both clear boondoggles? Again, they have to come clean on this.
Finally, the White House has got to treat this the way their enemies see it -- as a bloodsport. The entrenched interests do not want to see the fee-for-service business model go away. Doctors who own MRI clinics have a vested interest in over-testing. Hospitals want people occupying beds for as long as possible. The insurance industry knows its profits will be diminished if administration billing is reduced. Drug companies loath the idea of a national database that compare their expensive, branded, over-advertised products to generic equivalents.
If the Obama team wants to win, they are going to have to realize they are beyond the hail-mary pass stage. They need an entirely new game plan. They are not playing badminton.
John F. Wasik, author, "The Audacity of Help"
www.audacityofhelp.net