Thursday, September 19, 2013

Tough sell: Obamacare isn't worth causing chaos

Conservatives have had an interesting line of argument: (bear with it... for now.)

  • They aren't the ones who want to shut down government.
  • They want government to keep going, but without Obamacare.
  • It's the Dems who are shutting down government just to preserve a program that Americans don't even like.
  • IT'S THE DEMS' FAULT.
Well, that's how the argument goes. There is a simple, step-wise logic to the argument. It's actually the mirror image of the Democratic argument -- the DEMS aren't the ones who want to shut down government; the DEMS want government to keep going, but WITH Obamacare; it's the GOP who are shutting down...

See, the arguments are mirror images. They work for both sides or for neither, which is intensely frustrating and leaves me wanting to yell "But... but...."

So, if the shutdown happens, who will be successful in selling this argument which works for either side? I want that question to linger here for a while.

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Let's assume that both the Dems and the GOP have their bases locked up.

  • For some low-information voters who haven't heard the argument yet, whichever side they hear first, they may believe. 
  • People who are really fearful of Obamacare will go with the GOP side.
  • People who have gotten used to the Senate being the more mature, moderate, and deliberative body will see what the Senate does, and go against the GOP crazies.
  • People who thought the issue was settled with the 2012 election will go against the GOP partisans who just... won't... get... the... message!
So, although the GOP was successful in making Obamacare somewhat unpopular, I don't think they were successful enough to get Americans to support chaos for the sake of blocking it. But we shall see.

Who will end up in the dunk tank?
Image: www.completerantallsorillia.com
Addendum 9/29/13. The shutdown arguments of the Dems and the GOP are mirror-images, but this argument does favor one side.
  • The GOP argument
  • We really want to change US law.
  • We don't have the votes to do it.
  • We'll threaten shutdown, default, or havoc to get the changes we want.
  • Maybe we'll need a second amendment solution if that doesn't work.

  • The Dem argument
  • If you really want to change US law, put together the votes in Congress.
This shows how they aren't the same argument.

2 comments:

JerseyShirls said...

Yes, these arguments are mirror images, but only one side is legitimate. The Right's position is one never taken before, for a reason. Any coverage or discussion of this topic should be pointing out the truth - that this is an unprecedented hostage-taking which has long-term ramifications for our country's political future - not just legitimizing the GOP's thuggery as equally worthy just for PC or "balance" issues in the media.

This is not the time or place to try, once again, to get rid of an actual law of the land simply because you want to. A Republican Congressman admitted on MSNBC this weekend that part of all this is to help freeze the program until the 2014 elections, since the GOP is hoping to win the Senate and get rid of the law.

So, the actual story being covered should be that this is just the GOP finding another method of gridlock and nullification, that the GOP is trying to negate the last election's results while already setting up the argument that the NEXT election's results WILL be legitimate ones.*

*Disclaimer: Any actual admission of legitimate election results will be predicated on the Republicans actually winning. If they don't, please go back to our regularly scheduled show. Sorry it is a repeat.

ModeratePoli said...

@jersey,

If an argument is logical, it shouldn't matter who's using it. If it's logical for A, it's logical for B, unless there a characteristic of A or B that invalidates it.

In my addendum, I show the argument that clearly shows the difference between the GOP trying to overturn Obamacare and the Dems defending it. I guess I'll edit and make it clearer.