From The Archives -- Ronald Reagan Scaremongering Medicare
Looks like we're going to have a week heavy on talking points. Yesterday, I wrote a column which could easily have been called "Wednesday Talking Points," and tomorrow's Friday, of course. Today, we're reaching all the way back to Friday Talking Points [83], but we're just going to re-run the relevant bits at the end -- the talking points themselves.
The article below was written in June of 2009, when the public option was still fiercely being debated and the outcome of the health reform effort was not in any way guaranteed (or even, really, in sight -- "Obamacare" wouldn't pass until the following year). Somewhere in my research, I stumbled across what can be said to be Ronald Reagan's first foray into the world of politics.
It is fascinating, in a Cold War sort of way, so I encourage everyone to take the ten minutes to hear Ronnie actually delivering this recorded speech (assuming the link still works). The issue at hand was Medicare. Ronnie took the stance that Medicare would not just destroy American medicine, but would in fact destroy our entire nation's freedom.
Which is why it's still relevant. I've been meaning to quote from this all week -- the first week of the Obamacare exchanges -- but had to cut the section out of yesterday's article (because it was running too long, even for me). I had labeled the section "The Chicken Littles will always be with us," which I only mention now because I thought it was an amusing way to put it. I may indeed bring Ronnie's words up in tomorrow's column, just to show how ridiculous the opponents of progress can sound, seen in perfect hindsight. But today, I thought I'd just re-run the original talking points culled from Reagan's rant. Enjoy.
Originally published June 6, 2009
A while back, a valuable piece of "opposition research" was leaked from the GOP's anti-healthcare-reform camp, in the form of a document written by Frank Luntz (see FTP 76).
But now there's an even more recent release of another GOP opinion survey/talking points list, which Democrats fighting for healthcare would do well to study.
Normally, this would provide plenty of fodder for our own talking points. But this week I'm going to do something a little different instead. Because I'd like to highlight the fact that virtually every argument (and then some) the Republicans are making against "socialized medicine" is exactly the same as the arguments they made forty-eight years ago. By none other than Ronald Reagan, who cut an album at the behest of the American Medical Association, in what turned out to be his initial foray into the world of politics.
The album, with the catchy title "Ronald Reagan speaks out against Socialized Medicine," was an early example of what is today called "astroturf" -- a fake grassroots effort bankrolled by a deep-pocket lobbying group. The album was sent to "Woman's [sic] Auxiliaries" of the AMA (doctors' wives -- this was 1961, after all), in an effort called "Operation Coffeecup." The doctors' wives were supposed to brew up a pot of coffee and call all their friends over to listen to the Reagan record, which exhorted them all to write to their members of Congress in opposition to what became known as Medicare. This is, once again, how Reagan got started in politics. The entire story (in exhaustive detail) is a fascinating one.
This album got a little attention last year when Sarah Palin quoted from it (or tried to, she just had to add the odd "back in the day" to Reagan's words, being Sarah Palin) during the Vice Presidential Debate. You can watch a "mashup" of Palin and Reagan to hear the differences.
But to truly bask in the red-baiting glory that was the early 1960s, you really need to listen to all ten minutes of Reagan speaking.
Because he paints a pretty horrific picture of the future of America under Medicare. A future, it should be noted, that simply has not come to pass. Which uses exactly the same threats that are being used against the "public plan" option today by its opponents -- essentially that private medicine will disappear, and that all we will be left with is socialized medicine. Well, OK, to be fair, using the word "socialism" back then had more of a punch to it, which led Reagan to use scare tactics which would be laughable today, but his main script is still in use, if a bit toned down for the modern audience.
So, for today's talking points, I offer up Ronald Reagan from 1961. To turn any of these into a Democratic talking point for use today, all you have to do is preface each with a statement like "You know, in 1961 Ronald Reagan said the following about the future of America under Medicare..." or "The last time America improved its healthcare system by enacting Medicare, the same scare tactics were used by opponents. I'd like to quote what Ronald Reagan had to say about what Medicare would do to America, and you can compare these scare tactics to the ones being used today..." or similar introductions. Either that, or read a Reagan quote, and then ask in astonishment: "Has this come to pass? No? Then why should we listen to you this time?"
Without further ado, we turn the entire rest of the talking points over to none other than Ronald Reagan, from "Ronald Reagan speaks out against Socialized Medicine."
It's all a socialist plot
"Now back in 1927 an American socialist, Norman Thomas, six times candidate for president on the Socialist Party ticket, said the American people would never vote for socialism. But he said under the name of liberalism the American people would adopt every fragment of the socialist program."
Beware the humanitarians!
"But at the moment I'd like to talk about another way because this threat is with us and at the moment is more imminent. One of the traditional methods of imposing statism or socialism on a people has been by way of medicine. It's very easy to disguise a medical program as a humanitarian project."
OK, Ronnie, why don't we hold a vote today?
"Now, the American people, if you put it to them about socialized medicine and gave them a chance to choose, would unhesitatingly vote against it."
Those wily socialists...
"Now what reason could the other people have for backing a bill which says we insist on compulsory health insurance for senior citizens on a basis of age alone regardless of whether they are worth millions of dollars, whether they have an income, whether they're protected by their own insurance, whether they have savings. I think we could be excused for believing that... this was simply an excuse to bring about what they wanted all the time: socialized medicine."
Government will dictate to doctors
"The doctor begins to lose freedom.... First you decide that the doctor can have so many patients. They are equally divided among the various doctors by the government. But then doctors aren't equally divided geographically. So a doctor decides he wants to practice in one town and the government has to say to him, you can't live in that town. They already have enough doctors. You have to go someplace else. And from here it's only a short step to dictating where he will go."
Government will dictate to YOUR STRAPPING YOUNG SONS!!
"All of us can see what happens once you establish the precedent that the government can determine a man's working place and his working methods, determine his employment. From here it's a short step to all the rest of socialism, to determining his pay. And pretty soon your son won't decide, when he's in school, where he will go or what he will do for a living. He will wait for the government to tell him where he will go to work and what he will do."
Oh, the humanity! Freedom dies in America!!
"Write those letters now, call your friends and tell them to write. If you don't, this program, I promise you, will pass just as surely as the sun will come up tomorrow. And behind it will come other federal programs that will invade every area of freedom as we have known it in this country, until, one day, as Norman Thomas said, we will awake to find that we have socialism. And if you don't do this and if I don't do it, one of these days you and I are going to spend our sunset years telling our children, and our children's children, what it once was like in America when men were free."
-- Chris Weigant
Follow Chris on Twitter: @ChrisWeigant
The simple fact that Reagan was wrong about Medicare does not preclude the conclusion that people are wrong about obamacare.
Considering the evidence of the last 3+ days, it's apparent that the possibility that people are RIGHT is very high...
Michale
The simple fact that Reagan was wrong about Medicare does not preclude the conclusion that people are wrong about obamacare.
Make that:
The simple fact that Reagan was wrong about Medicare does not preclude the conclusion that people are RIGHT about obamacare.
My bust...
Michale
Democrats should add the public option to the Government continuing resolution. Two can play the 'add a stupid completely unrelated clause that the other party hates and will not budge an inch on to a budget bill' game...
Democrats should add the public option to the Government continuing resolution. Two can play the 'add a stupid completely unrelated clause that the other party hates and will not budge an inch on to a budget bill' game...
If the other Party was actually SERIOUS about compromise as they claim to be when it suits their agenda, this shutdown would never have gotten started..
Remember the Party Of No??
Well, in the here and now, the Democrats are the Party Of No..
Just as I predicted they would be eventually...
Michale
It's actually quite hilarious..
I can predict EVERY comment from EVERY Weigantian before it's even posted..
A noun, a verb and "it's all the fault of the Republicans.." :D
Michale
I can predict EVERY comment from EVERY Weigantian before it's even posted..
Aww right, to be fair... Not EVERY Weigantian falls under that.....
Michale
http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/wired-shut-barricade-wwii-memorial-reinforced_759193.html
This is utterly pathetic...
It takes MORE manpower, MORE money and MORE effort to shut down a 24/7 public memorial than it does to just leave it alone..
But Obama and the Democrats have to have their little immature temper tantrum...
Pathetic is the ONLY word that can describe it...
Michale
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/oct/4/reid-apologizes-nasty-tone-senate-floor/
Credit where credit is due.
Reid deserves a kewpie for man'ing up and apologizing...
Michale
If the other Party was actually SERIOUS about compromise as they claim to be when it suits their agenda, this shutdown would never have gotten started..
Remember the Party Of No??
Well, in the here and now, the Democrats are the Party Of No
Lol still not getting the point. I propose all guns are banned. If you don't agree with me or come up with a compromise as to which guns should be banned then you're a NO MAN!
David's post was perfect: http://s3.amazonaws.com/dk-production/images/51524/large/tumblr_mu2ai6sgfU1qat9xfo1_500.png?1380814234
It's even more hilarious that even the Republican actual requests represent a NO: 'You give those poor people no healthcare, or we'll make sure they have no Government'. NO NO NO NO NO! We demand NO!
Great piece by the BBC on the 'suicide caucus' and party of no: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-24388669
Lol still not getting the point. I propose all guns are banned. If you don't agree with me or come up with a compromise as to which guns should be banned then you're a NO MAN!
That was the Democrat's position during their claims that Republicans were the Party Of No..
Now that it's Democrats turn to compromise, all of the sudden compromise is an evil thing..
Now it's Democrats who are the Party Of No..
American People: "Give us the same delay that ya'all gave your corporate cronies."
Obama And The Democratic Party: "NO!!"
It's that simple...
And it's so true because you choose to ignore it and not address it...
Michale
How come there are no good stories coming out about obamacare??
How come it's train wreck after train wreck after train wreck??
You would think that Obama and the Demcorats would be BEGGING to delay obamacare a year...
Michale
The Lincoln Memorial is easy to reach, with the streets around it remaining open. But the Martin Luther King Memorial is made difficult to reach, relegating it, you might say, to the back of the bus. Not very nice.
“It’s a cheap way to deal with the situation,” an angry Park Service ranger in Washington says of the harassment. “We’ve been told to make life as difficult for people as we can. It’s disgusting.”
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/oct/3/pruden-the-cheap-tricks-of-the-game/
Ya'all must be SOOOO proud of Obama and the Democrats, eh??
I'll echo what Mr Ranger said..
"It's disgusting"
Michale
If anyone wants to see the public's reaction to obamacare, just check their messages on the FACEBOOK page
https://www.facebook.com/Healthcare.gov
Straight from the horse's mouth, people...
obamacare is a dud...
Michale
American People: "Give us the same delay that ya'all gave your corporate cronies."
Obama And The Democratic Party: "NO!!"
Lol again completely missing the point. A delay in Obama-care has ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with the Government spending bill. Again I repeat: it's the equivalent of me attaching a 'ban guns' bill to the Government spending bill and shutting down the Government when you don't approve it.
I also don't agree with your comments but we can debate the delay of Obama-care whenever you like, just now I'd rather debate the CR budget bill - which has as much to do with Obama-care as it does a ban guns bill (i.e. absolutely nothing)...
As for your comments it is HILARIOUS and incredibly ironic that you would blame Obama for shutting down Government considering for the past few years all the propaganda sources that you read have been harping on about Obama being a Big Guv'ment Socialist.
So Obama is about Government taking over everyone's lives. Except when he shuts it down then he is the evil anti-Government devil.
And the shut-down is probably nothing to do with the 'We Hate Government' part of the 'Government Is Evil' party. Naaaaah. It's DEFINITELY the fault of the other guys. Lolol amazing logic.
ECHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO chamber logic.
Lol again completely missing the point. A delay in Obama-care has ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with the Government spending bill. Again I repeat: it's the equivalent of me attaching a 'ban guns' bill to the Government spending bill and shutting down the Government when you don't approve it.
So, you are saying that Democrats NEVER attached legislation to another piece of legislation that had nothing to do with the first legislation??
Go ahead and make that claim.. I dare ya! :D
Michale
obamacare is a dud..
There can be no argument about that..
Michale
And Obama himself has taken a huge hit in the approval poll....
There's no where to go but down....
Michale
99% of obamacare applicants hit a wall!!!
http://www.cnbc.com/id/101087965
NINETY NINE frakin' percent, people!!! And THAT stat is from C frakin' NBC... The standard Obama water carrier....
Now, if THAT is not a train wreck, what is??
Go ahead.. TRY and compare it to something else..
TRY and show where something else started by the federal government had a NINETY NINE percent FAIL rate...
Anyone??? Anyone??? Beuhler???
obamacare is a train wreck... Pure and simple...
Michale -
The best summary of how "reasonable" the Republicans are about "compromise":
GOP: We demand Obama resign today, or we'll shut down the government!
Obama: No.
GOP: We demand Obama resign next year, or we'll shut down the government!
Obama: No. There was an election.
Dems are actually the ones who have compromised on the budget deal -- they accepted the full sequester. GOP has not given one inch. They don't even know what they're fighting for anymore.
-CW
Michale [1] -
Less than one month after she quit the governorship of Alaska, Sarah Palin:
"[G]overnment health care will not reduce the cost; it will simply refuse to pay the cost. And who will suffer the most when they ration care? The sick, the elderly, and the disabled, of course. The America I know and love is not one in which my parents or my baby with Down Syndrome will have to stand in front of Obama's "death panel" so his bureaucrats can decide, based on a subjective judgment of their "level of productivity in society," whether they are worthy of health care. Such a system is downright evil."
She lied to you. This was a lie. Her "death panel" does not exist. Once you are able to admit that this was nothing more than a scaremongering lie, then I'll listen to what you have to say on Obamacare. Because, you know, she lied to you.
Just like Ronald Reagan lied about Medicare.
-CW
Michale [19] -
But no matter how bad Obama's poll numbers are, they are still above GWBush's at this point, and are likely to remain so for the rest of his presidency.
Hurts, don't it?
:-)
-CW
Dems are actually the ones who have compromised on the budget deal -- they accepted the full sequester. GOP has not given one inch. They don't even know what they're fighting for anymore.
And Republicans gave in on tax raises previous to the sequestor.
That is THAT compromise..
Now, we have THIS compromise that Obama and the Democrats are unwilling to make..
It is clear that, in THIS particular political battle, it's the Replicans who are the Party Of Compromise and it's the Democrats who are the Party Of No...
But no matter how bad Obama's poll numbers are, they are still above GWBush's at this point, and are likely to remain so for the rest of his presidency.
Hurts, don't it?
Not really. Truth be told, I really don't care much about politics. It's more intellectual exercise than anything else. :D
But I WOULD dispute that the "likely to remain for the rest of his presidency".. If Obama has proven anything it is that there is no depth to the level of his incompetence..
Come talk to me after the mid-terms. :D
Having said all that, ya gotta give me credit..
I called the Shutdown perfectly. Likely to last thru the week and past the weekend.. :D
Michale