I have been watching the HoopLa about two political ads from opposing parties. One add was approved by Mitt Romney and run in swing states. The ad accuses President Obama of gutting the WELFARE TO WORK ACT. Several fact checking organizations have rated the ad as false.
The 2nd ad was developed by Priorities USA and has not been sold to any media market. However, it has been shown on MORNING JOE and other political talk shows.
Go to factcheck.org/2012/08/is-romney-to-blame-for-cancer-death/
According to the MORNING JOE people this add is a "Low Blow".
This ad features a gentleman who lost his job in 2001 when Bain closed the company he had worked for. The loss of his job meant the loss of health insurance. The man goes on to talk about how his wife ignored signs of illness until he took her to the emergancy room where she was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer. She died 22 days later.
The Annenberg Fact Checker points out that there are problems with the add but at issue is statements of opinion rather than the facts of the add.
The MORNING JOE people worked very hard to get David Gibbs to agree that the Priorities USA add was appalling. When Mr. Gibbs pointed out the issues with the Romney approved ad they basically brushed his argument aside.
I see this as evidence of the divide between the upper income class and the rest of us. I see false advertizing as much worse than and ad that uses facts to raise questions.
The Prorities USA as resonates with me. I understand that loss of a job can lead to loss of health care. I understand that it can take more than 5 years for an older person to replace the income and benefits from a job loss. I understand that people who are juggling bills, trying to exist on $15,000 a year instead of $45,000 do not go to the doctor and a cancer can go undetected until it is too late.
The MORNING JOE people appear to be unaware of these issues. Maybe, they have never had to worry about getting a job. Joe is a former Congressman so lack health care will never be an issue for him.
The wealthy in this country do not seem to be aware that our access to health care is through our jobs and many of us are losing that access. For quite some time it has been difficult for a person who worked spent many years in the same job to find a new position quickly. For older people this means a job with benefits and a livable wage can be very hard to replace. As an example, my own daughter in law, a teacher who was let go when the enrollment at her private school decreased, has not been able to get a full time teaching job with benefits for three school years. Since my son is an auto mechanic in a small job shop this means their family has no access to affordable health care.
I personally know the terror of living without health insurance. After a divorce during the 80's I was unable to get a job with health care until I earned a bachelors degree. Even with the BS it took me a couple more years to get a job with health care. During that time I did not see a doctor. I was terrified I might be diagnosed with a pre existing condition that would make me ineligible for health care when I could afford it. I was constantly worried that one of my three boys would be hurt and need expensive health care. Luckily we made it through unscathed.
The Priorities USA Ad may be "A low blow" However, it demonstrates a truth about the importance of the Affordable Health Care Act.
The Romney approved add is misleading and containd false hoods.
I can sort out opinion from fact but its much harder to determine the truth when I am presented with lies.