CFOZone.com - The Network of Corporate Finance

Amazing how the insurance companies and the extreme right wing of the Republican party have managed to whip so many people into a frenzy over Obama's health-care plan. From the discussions I've seen on TV so far, opponents of the plan seem to be mostly spouting half-truths, misinformation and data taken from insurance-industry funded surveys. If I were the country of Canada, I'd sue for slander.

Watched one town hall meeting where an irate woman said she vehemently opposed any form of socialized medicine. When asked what her medical coverage was, she defiantly exclaimed, 'Medicare!'

Wow.

A piece by Paul Krugman a few weeks ago cited a man at a town hall meeting who warned the government to keep its hands off his Medicare.

But, isn't the press coverage of all this town hall stuff just stupid? The people who are really crazed about Obama's plan are not the majority. And they're not part of a grass-roots, Saul Alinksy-style movement. It simply isnt' so. They're a minority who choose to believe what they see on Fox News and are being used by some well-organized Republican groups. (Groups who know how to manipulate the media).

My concern is that this perceived minority is growing larger every day--and may grow large enough to derail meaningful legislation.

Well, if they do, I'd like to talk to one of these folks in five years time. At that point, their employer will likely be requiring them to pay $800 a month in premium costs--and tow a $2,500 deductible. That's if the employer actually offers health-care coverage.

The other point: the White House proposal allows consumers to keep their current plan, or sign on with the govt. plan. It's not like folks will be forced onto the national plan.

Just wish folks could focus on the real problems with health-care in this country, rather than getting all worked up over red herrings provided by the insurance carriers or their minions.

I'm gonna go out on a limb here and predict a backlash against the backlash because there's a big racial-cultural element at work here that has yet to fully form.

Speaking of Krugman, Annearf, he suggested last week that a lot of the screamers are genuinely pissed, and that their noise isn't entirely orchestrated, despite the ravings of the Peggy Noonan and Ann Coulter crowd. They're ignorant, yes, but they're irked, and Krugman links the movement against health-insurance reform to the same angry crowd that thinks Obama is a Kenyan-born terrorist.

As a matter of fact, yes, those town hall crowds are almost all lily white, aren't they? Last time I saw such narrow demography was when the rank-and-file right showed up for Sarah Palin's screech across America.

But she lost, didn't she?

###

Judging from Helene Cooper's NYT story on the N.H. meeting, updated just a while ago, these are the wonderful folks who got their panties in knots today:

"“Euthanize Obama!” one protester on the right side of the driveway yelled at Tom Jordan, a social studies teacher from Amesbury, Mass., who stood with the president’s supporters on the left side and held up a “Euthanize Ignorance: Go Obama” sign.

Mr. Jordan shook his head. “You look at these guys, with their Hitler posters and their communist posters,” he said. “How can they say Obama is both at the same time?”

Across the driveway from Mr. Jordan, holding one of those Hitler posters — “Hey America, You want Change? Hitler did too!” — stood Diane Campbell, a Dunkin’ Donuts franchise owner from Kingstown, N.H."

Wow, scary: I agree with RedConn and if this doesn't go through, I'd like to chat with these folks in five years. (Actually, I wouldn't like to, but I'd like to hear about it!)

Much of this is boring theater, wake me when it's over please!!