its not the "ummm so what crew" i'm worried about...

There are two different types of opponents to health care reform.

There are the Ivory Tower types that hold an ideological position that says government should do nothing but the fundamental things it did back during the agrarian era--army, police, court system...

But then there are the... yeah government should reform health care but the Democrats are passing reform that won't work or is bad.

Generally speaking the later seem to take talking points from the Beck/Boortz/Hannity trifecta (who get their talking points straight from the small government Ivory Tower types).  Problem is the general population are turning--via talkshow entertainers--to people who, by definition, won't give them solutions to the problems they desire solutions to...

This isn't a Democrat/Republican voter split.  Every single day I speak with Republicans who say we need health care reform--but when you follow up to question what ideas they like in terms of reform you find one of two things...either a check list of things the Democrats are working to do... or honest self assessments that they have no idea;  they just don't like what they hear "coming out of Washington".

The ineptitude of Democrats at the State level has left a vacuum when it comes to leadership, ideas, and connection with voters...

Many people I know try to blame the Ivory Tower types... but in the end politics is about building relationships and trust with voters.  When they think the Democratic Party they think Nancy Pelosi or Obama or whoever...

But when its about your neighbor down the street inviting you to an event, or meeting, or providing information because they think it matters if the lady down the street has health care or not--then you put a human face on evil tax hiking Democrats...

This debate is, at its heart, a question of values--do you believe that the Government should protect and empower its citizens... or do you think that government should be set up so that every man is left to their own devices, sink or swim...

The "ummm so what that 45,000 Americans die every year--our forefathers didn't have Obamacare we shouldn't either" types have done a great job in Public Relations... you can thank Democratic Party ineptitude for their success on that front.

Posted via email from Jim Nichols