I am not blaming anyone. I am stating a simple fact that politics is perception. Intellectuals, like you and I, generally have little tolerance for those who cannot process information on a post-graduate level yet roughly half the country operates on a sixth grade level. This is what made Bill Clinton so effective at selling the democratic platform; he possessed the ability to take extremely complex subject matter and to communicate it on a sixth grade level so that everyone in the country gets it. To date, Obama has failed to do that. I like the guy. I agree that the legislation he has passed is good for the country, for the most part. I plan to vote for him again in November barring some massive unforeseen turn of events. That said, if he had better communicated his agenda like Clinton did this would not be a close election right now.
I generally think he couldn't sell it because he didn't know how to fix it. He never had a plan, and he didn't understand the bills being proposed. That is why when the Republicans were spouting rediculous bullshit about death panels and rationing he couldn't dispell any of it.
I think he understood the bill just fine but didn't take the time to sell it to the public, either from being naive and believing that because health care was such a huge issue in the election that the American people would be happy regardless of what was passed or from a simple lack of time and Obama feeling a need to move onto the next issue. Either way it has cost him politically. I sincerely believe if he had taken more time, or had surrogates take the time, to better explain the legislation, he would be getting more credit for it now. Because he let the Republicans control the narrative he is now suffering through an issue that should be a feather in his cap.
Fortunately for Clinton, the GOP learned from their mistakes during his administration and learned how to turn up the volume...
pray to the sweet little baby jesus and carry a pile of books under your arm where ever you go.....this is only a start
