Selling ObamaCare: Maybe if they yell even louder…
posted at 11:14 am on July 31, 2009 by Karl
As they prepare to face voters during the August recess, members of Congress have decided to retool the marketing for their planned takeover of the US healthcare system:
With a House Dem bill closer to reality, the battle will shift to a new phase: Selling it. And according to an email to House Dems that was sent over by a source, [senior Obama adviser David] Axelrod and top White House health care adviser Nancy DeParle will be attending a breakfast with members to discuss “health care reform messaging.”
“This meeting is MEMBERS-ONLY,” the email reads, meaning no press and no staff.
The new pitch is likely to be part of next month’s ad blitz:
Hoping to regain momentum in the health care fight, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is planning an August offensive against more than two dozen Republican House members that aims to paint them as roadblocks to reform.
“We are not going to allow supporters of the status quo to swift-boat health care reform in August,” promised DCCC Chairman Chris Van Hollen (Md.).
The DCCC effort will comprise robocalls, e-mails and tele-town halls in 25 GOP-held seats; eight select members — Reps. Michelle Bachmann (Minn.), Joseph Cao (La.), Charlie Dent (Pa.), Dan Lungren (Calif.), Thad McCotter (Mich.), Erik Paulsen (Minn.), Dave Reichert (Wash.) and Pat Tiberi (Ohio) — will also get hit with radio ads.
However, while House Speaker Nancy Pelosi claims that “insurance companies are out there in full force carpet bombing” in a “shock and awe” campaign against ObamaCare, the reality is that spending on health care reform advertising is already approaching $2 million a day, with supporters’ expenditures outnumbering their opponents’ by nearly 2-to-1. All of that spending failed to stop healthcare reform from sliding across the board in public opinion polls.
Maybe the problem isn’t the marketing. Maybe the problem is the product.
Blowback
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Ah, yes, the old anecdote about the new dog food marketing campaign. Fancy label, expensive ad campaign, coupons for free samples…
Didn’t sell. When management asked why, it was told, “The dogs won’t eat it.”
Wethal on July 31, 2009 at 12:36 PM
Where’s Joe Isuzu?
ericdijon on July 31, 2009 at 8:26 PM
He bailed when the O-samba administration offered him the “Cash for Clunkers” advertising campaign, but refused to pay him on grounds that he would be performing a vital community service for his fellow comrades.
funkengruven on August 1, 2009 at 4:58 PM
They control the White House, The House (with a very large margin) and The Senate (with a filibuster proof margin).
How in the world can _any_ Republican be painted to be obstructing this? Seriously?
We have no power or method by which to stop it. If it doesn’t happen, it will be because enough Democrats either came to their senses or were frightened by enough constituents threatening a lynching that they didn’t vote for it.
Democrats 2005 (while they were in a minority in both houses):
“We can’t pass what we want because we are in the minority and the Republicans are stopping us.”
Democrats 2007 (after winning a majority in both houses):
“We can’t pass what we want because the Republicans will filibuster us in the Senate and because The President will veto it.”
Democrats 2009 (after winning a filibuster-proof majority in the Senate, a very large majority in the House _and_ the Presidency):
“We can’t pass what we want because the Republicans are stopping us somehow (we’re not sure how they’re doing it, but they must be doing it).”
This only works when you are in the minority. When you are in an all powerful, no blocks majority, it’s pathetic.
Theophile on August 1, 2009 at 5:22 PM
A pig in a poke is still a pig in a poke no matter how slick the advertising.
txmomof6 on August 2, 2009 at 2:11 PM
God I hate these people.
That sleaze-ball Van Hollen saying they won’t allow “enemies” of the bill to Swift-boat healthcare.”
And decrying the “massive amounts of dis-informationt” being spewed by talk radio.
Every word these F***ers say is a lie.
guntotinglibertarian on August 2, 2009 at 7:05 PM