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One thing that the White House seemed to get very wrong the other day was putting the President in the news conference format. His “new idea” of finding a way to allow people to keep inferior health insurance policies might or might not work, but having the President repeatedly apologize is not any better than a single statement. Yet, the media that cover the White House asked questions of Obama again and again that were designed to get him to say “sorry” again and again. Seven times during the news conference Obama said this mistake was “on me” or “on us”. Enough already. No one who already hates Obama is going to be convinced by apologies.
I don’t know how they make these decisions in the Obama White House, but the new plan should have been the subject of a presidential speech or address to the nation. The words of apology should have been carefully selected before hand and spoken once, at most twice, and be done with it. Taking responsibility as the nation’s ultimate leader is one thing, but you can’t apologize your way out of this mess. People who believe that the President was not being honest about the ACA have more or less formed their opinions. Several million people are threatened with losing policies and most of them don’t like the uncertainty or the idea that they might have to pay more (they also don’t know what subsidies they might get to pay for better coverage, which means they are in the dark).
This one issue alone is so complicated and so potentially problematic for citizens that it could have been handled as a separate piece of legislation, then carefully explained and designed to time into effect over several years. Where it stands now is that it has created, a minimum, doubt and confusion and in some cases anger. It gives the opposition to Obama and the ACA, as everyone can see now, a great big opening.
This, in the eyes of traditional Washington, looks like a new disaster piled on top of the website mess. The so called “chattering class” of know-it-all pundits and commentators almost always exaggerates the repetitive controversies that flow over and around a presidency. Yet, virtually everyone but his sworn enemies and hatters expected more of this president and a greater degree of competence in dealing with public and political eruptions. If done well, there is a chance for this President to use the controversy to get the ACA improved and to show that he can, indeed, make good on his promises to the public. The White House has been playing defense throughout this whole roll out controversy and it could even get worse before it gets better, if it ever does.
Doug Terry, 11.16.13
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