Contrary to almost all commentary on Reid's "Public Option Optout" decision today, it seems to me that the decision itself is a masterstroke of political strategy.
Barack Obama has been portrayed to be weak by progressives in supporting triggers just before the Reid decision. Hey, I've been banging on him to everyone I know. But Obama's pledge was not that we would always like what he appeared to support. His pledge was that he would deliver health care insurance reform.
We got more than just health insurance reform today. Let's review the reality of what has happened here after the jump.
The recent rumors about Obama backing away from the public option by supposedly supporting triggers were part of a much larger strategy to pass health care reform and put the Republicans in a completely untenable position, especially in the South.
Think about it... Conservative Dems are provided with cover for voting to close debate and shutdown the Republican filibuster and let the bill come to the floor of the Senate. Then they can vote against the bill after Conference because only 51 votes are required.
Think about it... Barack Obama doesn't need us to believe he is a Saint at the moment. He was willing to play the role of progressive spoiler to achieve other objectives...
Think about it... Harry Reid, facing a tough election next year, is now a hero. Imagine how much stronger he emerges with this decision. Harry stood up to President Obama who wanted triggers and Harry said "no, I'm sorry Mr. President, we need the Public Option without triggers."
Think about it... Obama was the progressive spoiler and he can now continue to position himself as supporting the "bipartisan" trigger approach proposed by Snowe. Snowe doesn't know what just hit her.
Think about it... How long will the South remain red if Republicans at the state level vote to Optout of the Public Option alternative?
Think about it... Stage 1 of the pincer of the Democratic Party movement to enact health care reform and move the Republican party to the left is now complete. The battle isn't over, but the strategy of our leaders is now clear.
Think about it... The reason this seems so unbelievable to me and to you is because, after years of stupid and spineless Democratic Party leadership, we can't bring ourselves to believe that this leadership is this smart and this crafty.
UPDATE #1
Oops... I think I missed another dimension to this masterstroke of political strategy. Here it is.
Think about it... In 2010 and for years following, all the statewide office races across the country will be most consumed by a single question: Will you vote or act to Optout? This is the way Reid's decision today and the larger political strategy we've witnessed the execution of moves the Republican Party to the left.
The Optout is discussed as the "compromise" made for conservatives. Yet, it is THE option having the greatest potential for moving the Republicans left.
UPDATE #2
to doubters: what? you actually believe that the White House team doesn't know precisely how each and every Senator will vote to stop the Republican filibuster and vote on the bill itself?
UPDATE #3
to doubters: let's see... Kay Bailey Hutchinson unhappily admits that with the Optout Public Option she'll be moving left. she wants Republicans to know how unhappy she is with that. but she'll be moving left by not supporting Optout.
and you think that Kay Bailey Hutchinson admitting that opting Out is unsupportable had no place in the thinking of the White House or in Senator Reid's office? our dem party leaders are just too stupid to think all this through, right?
h/t to NLinStPaul for alerting me to the Hutchinson interview in a comment below.
Relevant discussion begins at 1:55.