Over on my Face Book page, someone started a discussion about what we are calling the object of our debate over Health Care. A Face Book poll asks me if I am in favor of government assisted Health Care. Someone had objected that supporters should not get involved with the poll and particularly SHOULD NOT TRY TO DEFEND "GOVERNMENT" HEALTH CARE.
I thought about it and I think they are right. I have written before about "framing". To some all such talk is pure semantics. If you are of this school, pass on, nothing to see here.
If you are not, consider my response in that thread and make up your own mind. I wrote this:
The question indicates that what obama is seeking is government health care. The assisted does not help that much. What we end up discussing is , do you want government (think big bad bureaucrats, red tape, incompetent. etc.)[running your health care].
A better question might be this: Do you support publicly assured access to health care? This gets up talking about our common obligation to each other to provide fair and equitable access.If the discussion touches on government involvement, it is now one component of the discussion, not the only one. There is NO presumption that the government will be providing my health care.
This all may sound like hair splitting, but given the complexity of health care reform, the frames and impressions left by the words we began to use as shorthand for the problem can matter.
That is my two cents, at least.....
Let me add that I tested this framing yesterday when I was approached by a supporter of the other side during a public demonstration.
Barack Obama is a Threat To America, we are told, because he served on a board of directors and had other contacts with William Ayers, who, in the 1960s, was, or was not, involved in terrorist acts for which he was never convicted of any crimes.
So imagine how serious of a Threat To America we would have if, last month, one of the two candidates hired someone to lead their transition team-the person who would recommend who should be selected for every appointed office of the new Administration-who, at the time of the 9/11 attacks, actually worked for Saddam Hussein...and who ended up working for him for five years.
Well, one of the candidates did, and I'll give you a hint: it wasn't Obama.
Ladies and Gentlemen, it's time to meet William E. Timmons, Sr.
Tonight Senator Barack Obama and Senator John McCain take the stage for the second time, and less than a week after the Vice Presidential debate. The debate tonight also takes place during a period in which the Obama campaign has made significant advances in several key swing states, and the McCain campaign has pulled out of Michigan and has been spending a significant amount of time in Republican stronghold states such as Florida.
Tonight Governor Sarah Palin will debate Senator Joe Biden. Could this Vice Presidential debate have more affect on the election than any other Vice Presidential debate in history?
If you have an interest in my "take" on the first presidential debate of 2008, here are a few preliminary thoughts:
Economic and foreign policy: rather unspecific about the Wall Street bailout, but starkly differing on foreign policy. McCain tended to use slogans, Obama was more specific. Obama reminded people that it is still McCain who "wants to give more and more to those with the most," proposing $300 billion in tax cuts for the rich. Understandably, neither wanted to be very specific about the current economic crisis, however.
(Rubber, meet road, Ralphie... - promoted by boadicea)
"I accept Ralph Hall's offer to debate the issues," said Glenn Melancon, Democratic Candidate for US Congress in Texas' Fourth Congressional District. "The voters need and want to know what the candidates stand for."
According to the Dallas Morning News (Thursday, March 6, 2008), Hall said he's ready to debate the issues. Both Republican and Democratic primary candidates had highlighted Congressman Hall's absence from local town hall meetings. Hall justified his absence by the need to spend his time at fundraisers.
"A Congressman should demonstrate to the public he can debate," said Melancon. "It will be good for the voters to see their candidates in action."
Melancon proposed a series of six debates around the district. He pointed out several local organizations all have experience hosting political forums. These groups include Sherman's KXII and Herald Democrat, Greenville's Herald Banner, Mount Pleasant's Daily Tribune, Paris' Chamber of Commerce and Paris News, and New Boston's Chamber of Commerce and Bowie County Citizen's Tribune. Melancon said setting the schedule now is important in light of Mr. Hall's busy schedule.
"These debates would be great for our democracy," Melancon said. "Traditional public debates have been pushed aside in recent years by 30 sec TV ads. It would be wonderful to restore the debating tradition in our District."
Former Sen. John Edwards, left, Sen. Hillary Clinton and Sen. Barack Obama during the Democratic presidential primary debate in Manchester, N.H., June 3, 2007.
I sort of watched last night's debate, when the bloviation reached the painfully embarrassing level I would switch channels in favor of a program about the physics of the Sun, about which it may not be possible to bloviate.
Switching back and forth between those two particular shows created a kind of auditory strobe effect, in one moment the undeniable reality of the physical processes taking place on the Sun, in the next the equally undeniable bullshit taking place in a suburb of our solar system known as New Hampshire.
One self serving statement followed another, charges of timidity and lack of leadership leveled by Edwards against Clinton and Obama, charges of being 41/2 years late with leadership leveled against Edwards by Obama.
I had just returned from the Sun when those barbs were hurled and it struck me that it was possible that no one on the stage possessed the ability to lead a rifle squad down the street to buy a newspaper.
They all had their moments I suppose but during one orbit I heard Clinton say:
"The differences among us are minor, the differences between us and the Republicans are major. And I don't want anybody in America to be confused."
That was a bit of truth because, although I might have to hold my nose to vote for her and others on the stage last night, I am not capable of the kind of confusion that would lead me to vote Republican.
In her truthiness however, Ms Clinton neglected to mention the incredible similarities between the Democrats and the Republicans in their insatiable eagerness to sell out to the highest corporate bidder.
Iraq and health care seemed to take up most of the debate and I don't remember hearing a word about campaign and ethics reform, no mention of the lizards of K Street and their influence in preventing the delivery of Health care and prescription drugs as well as their influence in going to war and prolonging it.
To be fair though, it may have come up while I was eight light minutes away.
We're going to be liveblogging the second debate (heck, I imagine we'll probably end up doing all of them) over at The Texas Blue, but I'm sure I'm not the only one. Who are my other compatriots that will be keeping tabs on these guys live?
The first Presidential Debate for the Democratic candidates is April 26th. As the network announced in January, MSNBC will telecast the first debates of the 2008 presidential campaign season. "NBC Nightly News" Anchor and Managing Editor Brian Williams will moderate the South Carolina Democratic Party's debate on April 26th.
This is video of the debate between the UT Austin Chapter of Campaign to End the Death Penalty and Young Conservatives of Texas on January 29.
The debate was in the Oxford style, with alternating speakers from each side debating a resolution that the death penalty be abolished. Each side also had a "questioner" who asked one or two questions from the other side, designed to point to the weaknesses in the opposing side's argument. In the middle of the debate, there was a short break in which audience members made comments and asked questions.
The yays won 114 to 43 on the resolution to Abolish the Death Penalty!
Duration: 75 minutes
Okay, I missed out on the debate fun yesterday, but the video is (for the moment) available right here.
Before I start the stream, let me put my biases on the table.
I am a outspoken Chris Bell supporter (sometimes I've felt more outspoken than Bell himself was being about his candidacy).
I've been hard on Kinky. So much so that a couple of his supporters have called me a "meanie".
I loathe Rick Perry slightly less than Gran Strayhorn does, but I find her political opportunism distasteful to say the least. She'd probably be a better governor than Perry, but I wouldn't trust her as far as I could throw her.
And I've got a weak arm.
I'll give my commentary below the flip. This should not be considered a transcript.
