This week, the President spent 24 minutes with Chuck Todd (you can search for the full 24 minute interview, and guess what? Only 15 are spent on Obamacare.) Whatever walk of life you’re in, check and see whether you’ve got what it takes to make an Obamapology when the going gets tough in your life.
The approaches are few, as we go through what was said, see if You can choose the approach the President uses from the choices below.
1-First choice is the GOOD INTENTIONS DEFENSE. “I meant well.”
2-Second choice is the COLLATERAL DAMAGE or the GREATER GOOD Justification. “My actions only hurt a few people.” Defined by Wikipedia as “damage to things that are incidental to the intended target,” and refers to a tough noogies approach to those who get injured by actions and policies that someone else regards as pursuant to the Greater good.
3-Third choice is the I’D DO IT ALL OVER AGAIN defense. This is the infuriating REPEATING OF THE SALES PITCH justifying the very actions that have warranted an apology in the first place.
4-Fourth choice is the I AM MORALLY SUPERIOR TO YOU defense, Morality Expert Obama speaks.
5-Fifth choice is the EMPTY PROMISE defense, addressing nothing but a general “promise” to fix, with no who, what, when, or how. It is important for Republicans to note that the assumption in this defense is that Obamacare can be changed, which in their ignorance many Republicans fail to note, via legislation, modifying regulation, and judicial action.
6-Sixth choice is the LIE, via incomplete truth or misstated truth justifying the behavior.
Now you’re ready to go through the 15 minutes of Obamapology regarding the President’s exchange with Chuck Todd regarding, “if you like your health care plan…”
Below are statements made by the President. Attach the appropriate argument 1-5 listed above and see if You can argue like a politician the next time you’re in trouble. (My assessments are listed beside the quotes)
1. “I meant what I said…” 1-GOOD INTENTIONS
2. “It only affects 5 percent of US citizens…”2-GREATER GOOD defense, you’re collateral damage
3.”We put in the law that if you had a sub-par plan when the law was passed, you could keep it” 6- The LIE. The grandfathered plans and delays for certain other plans was in the law, but these plans were NEVER designed to persist, but rather as they are, reach their demise at or around 2014 as minimum requirements and essential health benefits uniformly replaced these plans.
4. “It only affects a small amount of the population…”2-The GREATER GOOD defense
5. “I have assigned my team to see what can we do to close some of the holes and gaps in the law…”5- The EMPTY PROMISE defense
6. “My intention is to lift up and make sure insurance people buy is effective…”1- GOOD INTENTIONS Defense AND 4- I AM MORALLY SUPERIOR TO YOU defense. Note this also proves the lie of #3 above, the intention was to get rid of those other plans.
7. “Pre-existing conditions are covered…” 3-I’D DO IT ALL OVER AGAIN defense.
8. “We are proud of consumer protections we put in place…” 3-I’D DO IT ALL OVER AGAIN defense.
9. “I regret that we weren’t as clear as we needed to be in terms of the changes that were taking place…6-The LIE.In this case omissions.
10. “Keep in mind that most of these folks who got cancellations, they’ll be able to get better care, at the same cost or cheaper in these new marketplaces…2-The GREATER GOOD defense you’re collateral damage AND 3-I’D DO IT ALL OVER AGAIN defense AND 4-I AM MORALLY SUPERIOR TO YOU defense.
11.”Majority of folks will end up being better off...” 2-The GREATER GOOD defense, you’re collateral damage AND 4- I AM MORALLY SUPERIOR TO YOU defense
12. “Even though it’s a small percentage of folks who may be disadvantaged…”2- The GREATER GOOD defense, you’re collateral damage
13. I am sorry that they’re finding themselves in this situation based on assurances they got from me…6-LIE, I think it’s obvious that we were deliberately misled
14.”Political lie? No, I think that we in good faith have been trying to take on a health care system that has been broken for a very long time…” 1-GOOD INTENTIONS defense
15. We wanted to try a proven model…6-LIE, failing to mention the insurance industry document of 2008 making recommendations that sound an awful lot like Obamacare
16. “We tried to write the law in such a way that people could keep their care although we really believe that ultimately they’re going to be better off when they’re buying health care through the marketplace…”1-GOOD INTENTIONS defense AND 4-I AM MORALLY SUPERIOR TO YOU Defense AND 3-I’D DO IT ALL OVER AGAIN Defense
17. “Obviously we didn’t do a good enough job in how we crafted the law…that’s something that we’re going to do everything we can to get fixed… “5-The EMPTY PROMISE defense
18. “The one thing I want to emphasize is that everyone is acting as if the existing market was working…” 4-I AM MORALLY SUPERIOR TO YOU Defense
21. “…pre-existing conditions. Over the long term that is the right thing to do… “4-I AM MORALLY SUPERIOR TO YOU
22. “We have to make sure they don’t feel betrayed by an effort designed to help them…”4-I AM MORALLY SUPERIOR TO YOU Defense
23. Selling Obamacare: 3-I’D DO IT ALL OVER AGAIN Defense
24. “When you try to do something big there are going to be problems along the way, even if ultimately what you’re doing is going to make a whole lot of people better off…” 2-The LARGER GOOD defense AND 3-I’D DO IT ALL OVER AGAIN Defense
25. “I hope that people will look back and say, ‘You know what, we now have protections that we didn’t have before…’” 4-I AM MORALLY SUPERIOR TO YOU Defense
26. “Even if it’s a small percentage of people, it’s five percent of the population…” 2-The LARGER GOOD Defense, you’re collateral damage
27. “Even though a whole lot of them are going to be better off…” 4-I AM MORALLY SUPERIOR TO YOU Defense
28. “I want everybody out there to know that my entire intention…” 1-The GOOD INTENTIONS DEFENSE
29. Selling… 3-I’D DO IT ALL OVER AGAIN Defense.
30. Selling…3-I’D DO IT ALL OVER AGAIN Defense.
31. On to the NSA and other issues…
32. Iran. There is the possibility of a phased agreement…6-LIE. Yeah, he’s going to lift sanctions.
So, now in the spirit of transparency and simplification, we better understand the Obamapology in response to the blatant lie of being able to keep your health plan.
When faced with that lie, the President began with emphasizing his good intentions. He briefly put in a few distorted facts, better known as lies, and discounted the people who are suffering under Obamacare’s increased costs, and other frustrations before emphasizing that he’d do it all again because only he knows what is RIGHT and he was trying to accomplish what is right and sure, if there are a few problems, someday, somehow, maybe someone will address them. The Obamapology.
