In addition to tonight’s health care town hall at the UW with Congressman Jim McDermott, this week brings two gatherings at Westlake Plaza that unintentionally highlight the question among Democrats who’ve been fretting as the president’s health insurance reform push stalls:

Do we rally or do we mourn?

In Seattle, it turns out, we are doing both. On Wednesday at Westlake Plaza, MoveOn.org is holding a 7:30 p.m. “vigil for people suffering under current health care system”—an event that fits with the more somber mood among some liberal health insurance reform activists. Then on Thursday, from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Westlake Plaza, Barack Obama’s former campaign organization, Organizing for America, offers a more feisty approach, holding a rally to “Stand up for health insurance reform at Westlake!“*

Take your pick, but I’d say a vigil (no matter how well-intended) is not something Democrats want to be holding in connection with health insurance reform right now.

*And, by the way, shifting the conversation from “health care reform” to “health insurance reform” is about the only smart strategic move Democrats have made in the last few weeks. If August proved anything, it is that most Americans can only process simple messages on this topic. That’s unfortunate, since this is not a simple topic, but that’s the reality. To talk about “health care reform” is to invite confusion among people who kinda like their health care as it is, kinda know that the larger system is broken and kinda think things could be better, but kinda don’t understand how anything’s really going to change and definitely don’t want their own personal health care reformed for the worse. But to talk about “health insurance reform”—well, when you talk about that you’re not talking about someone’s doctor or employer but rather about something that every American hates: the health insurance industry. Reform them? Now you’re speaking words people want to hear.

Eli Sanders was The Stranger's associate editor. His book, "While the City Slept," was a finalist for the Washington State Book Award and the Dayton Literary Peace Prize. He once did this and once won...

10 replies on “The Question”

  2. Eli, well put. I can’t believe the Democrats used the term healthcare. You’d think they’d have learned this lesson in 1992. Changing healthcare BAD! Changing insurance GOOD!

    People v. Insurance companies. Democratic “strategists” please never mention healthcare again.

    Remember without Bush, Obama isn’t President. Democrats didn’t win the presidency, Republicans lost it.

  3. Sadly @1 ftw.

    Parades and mourning both help you deal with your emotional reaction, but in the end are fairly useless.

    You should be forming FB groups and inviting all your straight friends and relatives to join them, showing up at African-American BBQs and Asian-American raves, and doing outreach with cool stickers and pins and Twee dolls.

    Staying together in a small minority group wins you zilch. Doing outreach to everyone everywhere on a personal one on one basis, especially those minority groups which have sometimes been hostile to gay rights, and making a personal connection, wins lots.

    Actions. Not words.

  7. The switch to “Health Insurance Reform” is probably good PR but it shows just how limited this whole thing is. I don’t understand what all the fuss is about, even the most robust “public option” being proposed isn’t close to socialized medicine or a single payer system.

  9. Like you guys said anything concrete about health care.

    Mourning anything or celebrating anything is just an exercise for yourself.

    It won’t change the ground. That is changed based on unpopulated states that have tons of Senators but monopolize the media attention and the industry-supported Birthers who live in Fear.

    Arguing with them feels good. And accomplishes NADA.

  10. I helped put together the vigil last night for Health Care Reform – or Health Insurance reform – and I’d say it was a pretty big success.

    We have over 250 people jammed into Westlake Plaza taking time to focus on the real cost of delaying, something that all the screaming going on in town halls is missing. And Jim McDermott stopped by to let us know he was optimistic we’d get our public option.

    I’m planning to attend the rally tonight as well. It’s a great sign that there’s a different event every night FOR health care reform. Seattle knows what it needs.

Comments are closed.