Why So Defensive Democrats?

As Congressional Democrats began their August Town Hall Meetings earlier this week, a common theme emerged...people are ticked off about this Health Care Reform Mess and they are letting their representatives know it. This is what our Representative Republic is supposed to be about...the elected Representatives listening to the people of their district or state and using that to guide their judgement.

What has been the response to this from the Democrats who are pushing sweeping health care reform at a breakneck pace? They've done what they always do when faced with an honest debate...they attempt to destroy the opposition rather than debate them. Speaker Pelosi and Majority leader Reid have gone so far as to refer to the movement as "Astroturf", rebuking the notion that this is a grass roots effort. The DNC has even released advertising stating that most of the people that are opposing this are there because health insurance companies put them up to it, which may be true in some cases, but definitely not the majority.

The people who are at these town hall meetings are informed on the plan and they don't like it. When they ask questions of their Representative, they expect an honest answer. Instead, they are getting broad generalities, because the Representatives know less about the bill than the people asking the questions. I would get mad too if I found out that the person representing me is a blithering idiot who just votes for what Obama, Pelosi and Reid say they should.

If the Democrats from Obama on down believe this Health Care Reform is so necessary, they should explain to the American people why it is necessary. They should explain to the American people what it will mean for them, both in terms of quality of health care and effect on their wallet. They should be able to talk passionately about this issue and lead on it.

But, they can't do that, because most of them don't even know why this is necessary, or if it even is. They just know that they need the support of the party to get re-elected, and Obama, Pelosi and Reid run the party, so they are going along. But they better be careful, especially the Blue Dogs, because if they pass this in its current form, many of them will lose re-election.

The crux of this issue is this, from the Wall Street Journal...68% of those who have health coverage rate it as good or excellent. I'm in that group. Seventy-Four percent of people rate the quality of health care they receive as good to excellent, and 50% of those people believe that the government's plan will lead to a decline in health care services.

Basically, this country is divided. While people overwhelmingly want everyone in this country to have health coverage, people are skeptical about the government's ability to do this and make it work. Rather than lead the country and explain how this plan is going to work for everyone, the Democrats are simply ridiculing the opposition. Rather than listening to the people at their town hall meetings, the Democrats are referring to these people as an angry mob.

There are a lot of us out here who are informed on the issues, and we don't like this plan. This plan will raise our taxes, will not lower health care costs, and will reduce our quality of care. We know this, but rather than work with us to figure out a solution that will work for everybody, the elitist, aristocratic Democrats assume that we are as stupid as the majority of their voters, and simply tune us out as an angry mob. It's a sad state of affairs and it will cost the Democrats at the polls in 2010.