Note to Politicians: The Hows Matter

Amazing to think that even a year ago, a clear majority of Americans actually wanted health care reform. Of course, that was when we actually thought we had a chance of getting real health care reform. Not the the institutionalized leeching that you all gave us. We should have known better. We never got real credit card reform or real bankruptcy reform.  Not even in the reforms of the reforms. So, it wasn’t really a surprise that this time was no different.

Still, it hurt enough that one week after the House of Representatives passed the health care plan (March 29, Rasmussen Reports):

• 54% of voters still favor repealing it. … 44% who Strongly Favor repeal and 34% who Strongly Oppose it.
• Repeal is favored by 84% of Republicans and 59% of unaffiliated voters. Among white Democrats, 25% favor repeal, but only one percent (1%) of black Democrats share that view.

Funny thing is, most of us actually have health insurance.  So we’ve come to understand a bit about how and when health care and health insurance works and doesn’t work.  And we’ve come to realize that the petty details of those hows and whens matter when its life and death and health on the line and not just some glitzy ads and political spin.

• Only 17% of all voters believe the plan will achieve one of its primary goals and reduce the cost of health care.
• Most (55%) believe it will have the opposite effect and increase the cost of care.
• Forty-nine percent (49%) believe the new law will reduce the quality of care.
• Sixty percent (60%) believe it will increase the federal budget deficit. Those numbers are consistent with expectations before the bill was passed.

Yeah, we’ve learned the hard way that just having something isn’t enough.  That something needs to work, really work, before we can count it as a net gain. And strangely enough, since we invest our tax dollars in it, we kind of expect our government and government employees to actually work for us. And when they don’t we’re not happy.

• Overall, 70% of voters are angry with the policies of the federal government… That includes 48% who are very angry.

A few weeks ago, I wrote that “America was founded on a how, not an if. It is how you govern that matters in a democracy. How honest. How effective. How transparent. How responsive. How fair. How trustworthy.”

You see, we never doubted that any of you pols could govern. We were just skeptical that enough of you could govern well. And after the fine job you all did on health care reform, well, you clearly showed the skeptics won that argument.

According to USA Today, in a Gallup survey last Friday through Sunday (after the passage of health care reform):

• Fewer people say President Obama is a strong and decisive leader and understands the problems Americans face in their lives.
• Fewer people say President Obama shares their values and can manage the government effectively.

Half (50%) of those surveyed say Obama doesn’t deserve re-election.

• Less than 50% of those surveyed approve of President Obama’s handling of the economy, foreign affairs, the federal budget deficit and health care.

You know, we ‘the people’ used to supply 70% of the economy and yet none of you pols seem to think we might have gotten a little savvy over the years. As professional consumers, we’ve learned a thing or two about evaluating our purchases.   And well, we’ve realized we’ve made some bad purchases.  And bad hires.

• Fifty-two percent (52%) of voters believe the average member of the Tea Party movement has a better understanding of the issues facing America today than the average member of Congress. Only 30% believe that those in Congress have a better understanding of the key issues facing the nation.

• 47% think that their own political views are closer to those of the average Tea Party member than to the views of the average member of Congress. On this point, 26% feel closer to Congress.

• 46% of voters say that the average Tea Party member is more ethical than the average member of Congress. Twenty-seven percent (27%) say that the average member of Congress is more ethical.

And it looks like a good many of you aren’t exactly measuring up:

In Gallup’s Generic Ballot for Congress, registerd voters were asked:

If the elections for Congress were being held today, which party’s candidate would you vote for in your congressional district?

So….I’m thinking, you might want to figure out what else you can do in life. Because we are past anxious and beyond concerned. We are mad. And we are motivated.

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(Cross posted at No Quarter)

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