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Clinton Health Care Defeat Molds Dem Strategy

Democrat's all-encompassing issue is 'too big to drop,' warn Bill's aides

By Mat Probasco, Newser Staff

Posted Sep 6, 2009 8:07 AM CDT

(Newser) – Top aides to Senate Democrats met with former Clinton administration advisers before the congressional summer break in another bid to determine where the last health care reform push went wrong, and how to avoid a repeat of the mistakes, reports the New York Times. Here are a few of the lessons learned:

Failure is not an option. However politically risky health care reform may be, doing nothing is far worse.
Get support from key players such as doctors and insurance companies, the interest groups which killed the Clinton Administration's push.

Know your audience. Avoid stressing "universal coverage" because it doesn't sell well to insured taxpayers picking up the tab.
Move quickly, before the White House honeymoon ends. Many critics, however, believe Obama moved too quickly, rushing a very complicated program. Others point out that the honeymoon is already over.
Leave the dirty details for Congress to iron out.
Take what you can get. Dems believe that the president will, eventually, accept a fraction of what he wanted and declare victory.

Protesters for and against President Barack Obama's health care reform proposals demonstrate before the start of a town hall-style meeting in Reston, Va., last month. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

Democrats are apparently working from a Clinton playbook on how to get a health-care program passed. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak, File)

President Barack Obama speaks during the Organizing for America National Health Care Forum in Washington last month. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Then-first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton's signature policy initiative, reforming the nation's health care system, fell apart, largely due to President Clinton's refusal to compromise. (AP Photo/Joe Marquette, File)

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COMMENTS

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Showing 3 of 34 comments

Shannonals

Sep 7, 2009 3:17 AM CDT

Love the, "Waterloo" comment, Reader60610265, glad to see your watching cable television on a daily basis. Your other comment makes no sense at all. Democratics and Republicans could have BOTH sat down at the table decaeds ago to fix this, but of course no Republican will touch this because of the kickbacks.

JonmarkP

Sep 7, 2009 1:38 AM CDT

Great idea - go to the ex-Clinton failures to find out what to do or not to do, as apposed to figuring out what's the correct, moral thing to do and just DOING it! God damn, Obama, get these clueless has-beens out of the White House and listen to the people who put you there.

emptycalm

Sep 7, 2009 1:37 AM CDT

"20m are illegals and another 10-15m don't care if they have health insurance.....get your facts straight" I'd like to know where you got those "facts" from.

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Clinton Health Care Defeat Molds Dem Strategy

Democrat's all-encompassing issue is 'too big to drop,' warn Bill's aides

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health care • Barack Obama • Congress • Clinton administration

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Wasserman Schultz: Divisive DNC Superwoman

Democratic party chief doesn't pull punches, or waste time

Congress Strikes Payroll Tax Deal

Pension, health care issues final sticking points

Payroll Tax Deal: $20 a Week in Paychecks

Tentative deal emerges in House-Senate talks

Obama, Others Won't Return Ponzi Cash

Receiver wants the $1.8M Allen Stanford gave to politicians

Chinese VP Arrives in Washington

Xi Jinping, China's next president, to meet with Obama

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Clinton Health Care Defeat Molds Dem Strategy

Democrat's all-encompassing issue is 'too big to drop,' warn Bill's aides

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OTHER STORIES ON OUR RADAR

health care • Barack Obama • Congress • Clinton administration

MOST POPULAR STORIES

[ By Views ]

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More Newser Stories

Wasserman Schultz: Divisive DNC Superwoman

Democratic party chief doesn't pull punches, or waste time

Congress Strikes Payroll Tax Deal

Pension, health care issues final sticking points

Payroll Tax Deal: $20 a Week in Paychecks

Tentative deal emerges in House-Senate talks

Obama, Others Won't Return Ponzi Cash

Receiver wants the $1.8M Allen Stanford gave to politicians

Chinese VP Arrives in Washington

Xi Jinping, China's next president, to meet with Obama

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Newser By Users

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