In short, the prevailing zeitgeist seems to be one of diminishing legitimacy for many of the institutions that dominate our society.
After the storm over health care reform in August, it is clear that the Obama Administration is no longer leading public opinion. In fact, the Administration and the Democratic Congress very clearly misread their mandate. Holman Jenkins recent column in the Wall Street Journal (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB40001424052748704471504574442772173150440.html?mod=wsj_share_facebook) very accurately describes what went wrong.
The question is: how does the Administration get back on track?
My views on this issue are shaped by my experiences, as with most people. Particularly, they have been shaped by working as a lawyer, and before that a law clerk and low-level functionary in the health care industry, beginning in the late 1990s, which was a time of great change.
Here are some things I saw and the conclusions I draw from those things.
A couple of my friends across the political spectrum sent me these interesting articles on the Co-op idea proposed in the Senate:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rj-esk...
http://www.heritage.org/Research/Hea...
In my opinion, Co-ops are the best approach to:
Health Care reform, certainly any reform involving a single-payor "Public Option," is likely DOA. The interesting question is: "Why?"
Based on the people I have talked to, the overwhelming answer is the fact that people are afraid of loosing their right to choose health plans, providers and treatment options in the event the Public Option were to be enacted.
Many years ago, I had the (somewhat demanding) honor of serving as a Brigade Intelligence Officer in the 1st Cavalry Division when then-MG Wesley K. Clark commanded the Division. One of GEN Clark's maxims stays with me to this day:
"There are two kinds of plans: those that won't work . . . and those that might."
As it is presently constructed, the Senate and House versions of Health Care Reform are "a plan that won't work." Bringing in elements from the French and German health care systems and more room for market forces could create "a plan that might work."
The events I attended were informational displays. I was able to talk to about 50 people from all walks of life.
The following observations may be of interest:
I happened to see Dr. Dean's interview on Morning Joe the other day. In it, Dr. Dean said that young people, the center of gravity in the 2008 Election, are Center Left on social issues but Center Right on economic issues.
That can be restated slightly to better capture the zeitgeist: the emerging Center embraces Progressive ends through Conservative means. For example, the number of states changing their laws to allow same-sex unions, a Progressive cause, is increasing. However, this is happening at the state-level, often through legislative action rather than through the Courts, a classically Federalist means.
