One of the things I’ve written about frequently is framing the debate and how things can be discussed in order to shift public opinion. And in all of the hoopla surrounding Obama’s 2nd press conference or what kinds of questions were being asked (or not being asked) and whatever else, one thing jumped out at me from what went on in the press conference:
The budget I submitted to Congress will build our economic recovery on a stronger foundation, so that we do not face another crisis like this ten or twenty years from now. We invest in the renewable sources of energy that will lead to new jobs, new businesses, and less dependence on foreign oil. We invest in our schools and our teachers so that our children have the skills they need to compete with any workers in the world. We invest in reform that will bring down the cost of health care for families, businesses, and our government. And in this budget, we have made the tough choices necessary to cut our deficit in half by the end of my first term - even under the most pessimistic estimates.
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That's what clean energy jobs and businesses will do. That's what a highly-skilled workforce will do. That's what an efficient health care system that controls costs and entitlements like Medicare and Medicaid will do. That's why this budget is inseparable from this recovery - because it is what lays the foundation for a secure and lasting prosperity.
The President of the United States is talking about how his budget contains vital programs that will invest in schools, energy, education and reducing health care costs.
As if it is a given. There isn’t a question as to if any of this will happen – the questions and conversations has become in what form it will be or how it will be paid for.
The conversation has moved tremendously over the past few months. These proposals may not be perfect, but the discussions that were confined to our corners of the intertubez a few years ago (and maybe even a few months ago) are not only accepted to be "mainstream" and not just put into the budget but also put out as a given.
We are winning.