You are not normal. None of you are. The average person doesn't pay any attention to this stuff. -- Arshad Hasan, Democracy for America
It is tempting for those of us who live, eat, breathe and dream about politics to become absorbed with policy minutiae, and the potential political consequences with one group of people or another concerning this or that individual piece of legislation. At the end of the day, though, we have to remember that we are not normal. The average voter isn't paying attention--even now--doesn't understand the details of public option, and just wants a better life for themselves and their families. This goes for most Republicans, too: it's just that in their ignorance, they lay the blame for their troubles on all the wrong boogeymen. If you pass good legislation, it won't matter how you passed it, or whether it will be interpreted as "liberal" or "conservative". It just has to work for people.
I was reminded of this just this morning while getting my hair cut. The young woman who does my hair--let's call her "Jamie"--is anything but political. An tall, attractive young woman in her late 20s living by the beach, she has better things to do with her time than obsess over politics. All my previous attempts to talk about politics with her fell on bored, deaf ears as she quickly changed the subject to anything else: movies, music, celebrities, sports, family, work and all the other subjects with which normal people occupy their their thoughts and hobbies.
I had learned something about "Jamie" from previous conversations, though: "Jamie" is what we call in the political trade a 2x4 voter, meaning that she votes every other year or so (usually in the bigger, even-numbered elections). She is a Decline-to-State voter, meaning that she chooses to be unregistered with a political party. And she isn't ideologically partisan, voting for both Republicans and Democrats depending on the issues and personalities. Jamie votes, but she doesn't want to get involved in any more than a fleeting way.
This morning was different. This morning, Jamie came to me with questions about healthcare. Jamie had very little idea what was going on, what the healthcare reform proposals entailed, or when they would be taking effect.
This, despite the fact that Jamie has no health insurance, because her employer doesn't offer group coverage, and she cannot get individual coverage due to a pre-existing condition. And still, she remains apathetic and largely ignorant of proposed legislation, with an only slightly more favorable views of Democrats than of Republicans. But she knows she needs health coverage.
I patiently but briefly explained why premiums were skyrocketing, and what other countries did about the problem. I explained that all legislation on the table would prevent pre-existing condition denails, rescission, and the loss of coverage upon switching jobs. And I explained the reason an individual mandate is needed, but the huge problem with a mandate to buy private insurance. Finally, I explained the public option, why it's so critical, and what we've been doing about it. I asked her to rent Sicko (again, most normal people have no idea what healthcare is like in other countries), and listen to the President's speech this evening.
And she was extremely grateful for the work we have been doing, and excited to hear about the proposed changes.
Jamie is a moderate, Decline-to-State voter--exactly the kind of voter the David Broders of the world purport to speak for in the Village. But Jamie didn't care if the legislation was "liberal" or "conservative". She didn't care whether it increased the deficit. She didn't care if it was bipartisan or not. She just cared that it work, and that she finally be allowed to live a little easier with the knowledge that she won't go bankrupt with the next medical emergency.
The political party that delivers real results to Jamie and millions like her with reap a huge political windfall. We can turn the non-committal Jamies of the world into Democrats for life. Opportunities to vastly increase the quality of life for millions of people while simultaneously reaping huge political profits come only once in a generation; failure to seize the day would be the most tremendous disappointment and waste of political capital in my lifetime.
Normal people don't care how we do it. Normal people just care that we get it done right. Hopefully, enough of the weirdos on Capitol Hill will get the message and pass healthcare reform with a robust public option.
Jamie would be proud.