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DC Doldrums and Obama's Bully Pulpit
Hard to tell if it’s a sign of the times that the life-sized Obama stand-ups at Dulles airport have been dropped in price from $40 to $9.99.
Then again, it does seem that after six months in office, the president has hit a patch that might be described as the doldrums.
For the man with near-perfect political pitch, Obama uncharacteristically stuck his foot in his mouth last week, with the Henry Louis Gates incident.
He’s done so at the very moment where he most needs our attention, as he takes on his most difficult challenge thus far and probably the most important goal he’ll set for himself – health care reform.
But it ain’t going to be easy.
The bully pulpit is not so easily wielded in an age where cable news channels spend all their time spinning left or right.
And Obama is learning that just because he says something, it doesn’t necessarily lead the news.
Here’s what happens out here in the rest of the country when we hear the words "health care": click. (What’s on Larry King? Oh, thank God ... Michael Jackson’s former publicist.)
Between the news media, entertainment media and the blogosphere, it is harder than ever for the president to cut through the noise and say something comprehensible about a subject inherently complicated and, face it folks -- boring.
I say this with a bad feeling in my stomach. Health care. Health care. Health care. We need to fix it.
This week it came home to roost in my community. A well-respected director of admissions at my daughter’s high school, Beatrice Levavi, died suddenly this week.
She was diagnosed with cancer. Last Wednesday.
Beatrice was in her mid-50s, and was the single source of support for her family.
She’d worked her entire life to put seven children through school, and college.
She was laid off from the school last year.
She had no health insurance.
But most of us had no reason to watch Obama hold a town hall this week on health care. I didn’t.
One thing the president has going for him is the continued disarray among his opponents. The Republicans seem ever more out of touch, what with their ‘birther’ absurdities, the comic relief of Sarah Palin and thus-far scattershot critics of the Democrats’ health plan.
But I wouldn’t count on the president’s opponents staying disorganized for long. In fact, if there's one thing that might organize them, it's the laser-like interest of the health care conglomerates.
Out here in the rest of the country, Obama just feels overexposed and out of focus.
If he could recreate the direct conversation he established with the country during the campaign, he’d have a better chance of breaking through.
And then more folks might want to take their picture next to his stand-up. You can borrow mine; I snagged it in DC for a song.
Comments
lenore Says
Beatrice Levavi, of Shalhevet Fame was actually 64 years old... Not in her mid 50's. Her daughter told me. I would have guessed her age to be 55...
Very sad, indeed.
Jenn Says
"...thus-far scattershot critics of the Democrats’ health plan..." Yeah. If Obama's current thrashing is the result of "scattershot critics," I'd hate to see his opponents at full strength.
And don't add politics to the site. Keeping up with the Industry is difficult enough.
Wyatt Says
Great article, thanks. Politics and entertainment are inextricable, in more ways than one; of course it's within your field to comment on Obama's media maneuvers, political agnosticism is mere pretense. Keep up the political commentary, if it's absent from entertainment reporting then probably so is the truth.
Wyatt
wyattmosswellington.com
cmz757 Says
I agree with REN. Stick to entertainment industry reporting. Leave the health care debate to those who understand the facts.
The highest estimate of those currently without health care is 46 million. Of those, 23 million are eligible but choose not to participate. That means there are only 23 million people out of 304 million who want health care but can’t get it. And for them, the Democratic “leadership” wants to nationalize the best private heath care system on earth. It’s too expensive but we can fix that. But you can’t fix the government, because you can’t fix idiots. They’re idiots.
What does the government do well other than protect our life, liberty and property? Amtrak is the biggest ongoing business failure in American History. Forty straight years of billion dollar losses. The US Postal Service lost almost $3 billion last year. Fed Ex and UPS each made over $1 billion. Our public school system is among the worst in the first world due to top heavy administrative burdens and the tyranny of teachers unions that protect incompetents. Medicare is burdened by billions in fraud. Why don’t the geniuses in Washington detect the fraud and stop it before it happens? Where was Barney Frank, the Captain Binghamton of the US Senate, when Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were going down the tubes? Why is Nancy Pelosi, who looks like she just stepped off a flying saucer, going home and back on a government jet at $500,000 per trip?
The story of your friend is tragic. I cannot imagine how her family will cope with that loss. My heart goes out to them. But the answer is not a government program. The answer is a decrease in payroll and income taxes coupled with tax free medical savings plans that offer automatic payroll deductions. They could be compulsory for some. This is the money you would employ in a medical emergency.
The truth is your friend is the exception. Most of those who want health care have it. For those who fear they might not, this is my advice: Don’t get pregnant in the 8th grade, graduate from high school, be humble, be grateful and work very, very hard, and you'll most likely have health care. Just like 248 million other Americans.
And for the record, I am a recovering motion picture producer with seven major studio theatrical motion picture credits. Like REN, I stopped drinking the Kool-Aide.
REN Says
First of all, you're doing a great job with the Wrap. You're breaking stories and inside reporting are proving The Wrap more relevant than HR and Variety.
But here's a tip Sharon. Leave politics to the DC pundits and stick to entertainment. We all know you've been drinking the liberal kool-aide if you've been in Hollywood this long, that you hate Sarah Palin for who she is, and that you believe the government should tax everybody "else".
You probably assume that 101% of your readship shares your views. But guess what, there are still a few of us "free markets, free people" types in Hollywood who enjoy your entertainment commentary but don't particularly care to hear your liberal political rantings. We can tune to MSNBC for that.
Do yourself and your readership a favor and stay agnostic. But keep up the great entertainment reporting
Ester Says
Sharon...I think your thoughts are the sentiments of many..lets hope he gets back on target..I think all of his TV appearances are no longer special... We kinda know if we miss him this week..he'll be back Next week..
and also..that was sad..about your Neighbor... The Health care lobbyists (and republicans) are gearing up and they will laser target like a mutha! They are scared..this could affect their profits BIG TIME..
Glad you're back...Love the new Offices....I"m coming to get my pic taken with Obama..
smooches,
Ester
"Views From A Broad"
Hollywood's most Loved and hysterical Schmooze blog
http://estergoldberg.com