Either the NY Times — and Democratic Party leaders — are living in a different world than the one in which most Americans are living, or the Times is largely only referring to the presidential campaign, not the past half year or so:
[Lessons the Obama Administration has learned from the Clinton Administration, according to past and present advisors]
Lesson 2: Know your audience — insured taxpayers.By the 2008 presidential campaign, Mr. Obama’s Democratic rivals, including Mrs. Clinton, were again promising universal coverage. Mr. Obama never did, except for children. He emphasized that insured Americans would see lower costs, more choices and better coverage.
Where has this message in bold gone? If Democrats really want to pass some sort of health care insurance reform, why has the debate not been framed by, overwhelmed with, and defined by, this message: Americans would see lower costs, more choices and better coverage.
Where has this message gone? Or, worse, do Democrats (perhaps believing that everybody already knows what they know?), believe that this is the message that they have sold to America?
Because it’s clear, that by looking at America, rather than just at those groups that were unequivocably sold on any type of reform, America has certainly not gotten this message.
[...] Which gets back to the issue of communication. [...]
[...] A gem from someone from the far right, who is absolutely convinced he is spot on correct. (While ”liberals” do their very darndest, without even realizing it, to continue to try and convince him and others, of this fact, while needlessly losing a great deal of the middle of the country that might very well be on their side on several key issues. But, we hasten to add, not health care until someone can actually both explain it, and understand the need to do so.) [...]
[...] But what about Davis’ point about the message itself? He writes, of the Democrats message, “How is it that so few people have heard that message?” He is right on that point. And we have made it ourselves, here. [...]
[...] the reasons why it is better focused on, sold, and repeatedly illuminated. (Instead of Democrats simply taking for granted that “everybody knows (or thinks) this” [...]
[...] the reasons why it is better focused on, sold, and repeatedly illuminated. (Instead of Democrats simply taking for granted that “everybody knows (or thinks) this” [...]