Why I love politics

[MaggieMae]

The love of the game. Win some, lose some. Cross fingers and hope in the end the best [man/team/bill] wins.

Here's how the health care reform game is likely to play out, comparing it to my equal love of football:

A hard-fought 21-16 championship game, fourth quarter, five minutes left, third in ten with the ball at the 50. The losing offense needs more than a field goal but can't risk the long pass getting intercepted. So the safest strategy is to move the ball far enough on the third down to hopefully pick up another first down but a fourth would do. Call time out. The game is normally won or lost on the next heart-stopping play.

Now the political strategy for moving the health care bill down the field:

(1) House votes on its final version which contains the controversial public option. (Game plan.)

(2) Senate passes it's version without the public option in order to get the required 60 votes. (Strategy.)

(3) House and Senate go to reconciliation conference. (Time out.)

(4) Final draft bill puts public option back in. (Final play.)

(6) Bill passes because only 51 votes are needed (a simple majority).

The "loving it" part of politics, for me, is the Ah HAH!! moment when the maneuvering all comes together and makes sense, such as, the sudden decision by the Obama camp to tamp down the importance of the "public option." (Oh really...)

[The above scenario compliments of Dr. Howard Dean, who appeared on several cable news channels this morning. The football analogy was my own.]

 

[MaggieMae]

What? No football fans?

 

[theDoctorisIn]

What? No football fans?

Not a football fan, but quite a political junkie, so the analogy is understood.

Also, quite a Dr. Dean fan as well.

 

[PLYMCO_PILGRIM]

Great post Maggs

 

[Big Black Dog]

This Health Care Reform Bill is going to be the defining element of the Obama Presidency. If he fails to get it passed, he will go down in flames - which he just might regardless depending on what the economy does as a result of the huge stimulus money being spent with little or no meaningful results. The cost of the Health Care Reform bill is going to come heavily into play because I think most Americans don't want to spend this kind of money at a time when the economy is not anything near "good". How Obama comes up with the money to pay for it will be a key to the bill's passage. Now, if this Health Care Reform bill gets passed with the current publics very low opinion of it, there will be a large number of unemployed Democrat Congressmembers come the next election. The House most likely will change over to Republican control and that will also be Obama's defining moment. The absolute best thing he could do, politically, is to call a TIME OUT, and carry this ball into the locker room to have it well-discussed and come back out to the field with a better game plan. Under it's current form, economic situation of the nation, public opinion considered, and Congressional support, I think Obama looses the game 21 - 20 in overtime.

 

[Meister]

I see this game as a 21-19 game. The quaterback has been injured, but not season ending at this point. The offense goes for a sure 3 pointer to win the game, and not the 7 points to cover the spread.
The quaterback is already in some pain, and if he had stayed for the spread, he may have suffered a season ending injury.

 

[Big Black Dog]

I see this game as a 21-18 game. The quaterback has been injured, but not season ending at this point. The offense goes for a sure 3 pointer to win the game, and not the 7 points to cover the spread.
The quaterback is already in some pain, and if he had stayed for the spread, he may have suffered a season ending injury.

18 + 3 = 21

Wouldn't that tie the score 21 - 21?

I could be wrong. Math isn't my strong suit.

 

[Meister]

I see this game as a 21-18 game. The quaterback has been injured, but not season ending at this point. The offense goes for a sure 3 pointer to win the game, and not the 7 points to cover the spread.
The quaterback is already in some pain, and if he had stayed for the spread, he may have suffered a season ending injury.

18 + 3 = 21

Wouldn't that tie the score 21 - 21?

I could be wrong. Math isn't my strong suit.

My bad

 

[dilloduck]

The "loving it" part of politics, for me, is the Ah HAH!! moment when the maneuvering all comes together and makes sense, such as, the sudden decision by the Obama camp to tamp down the importance of the "public option." (Oh really...)

Exactly why I learned to hate politics--there NEVER is a time when the maneuvering comes together. Only brief vignettes of the same old crap from both parties. Over and over and over.

 

[Luissa]

of course when they win the other side will blame the refs for years.

 

[xsited1]

The love of the game. Win some, lose some. Cross fingers and hope in the end the best [man/team/bill] wins.

Here's how the health care reform game is likely to play out, comparing it to my equal love of football:

...

And at the end of the "game," an asteroid hits the Earth and everyone is killed.

 

[Meister]

of course when they win the other side will blame the refs for years.

Well....yeaaah, someone has to be the fall guy. Right now it's old people, mobs, and insurance companies that are the refs.

 

[Luissa]

of course when they win the other side will blame the refs for years.

Well....yeaaah, someone has to be the fall guy. Right now it's old people, mobs, and insurance companies that are the refs.

I say we blame old people.

 

[Immanuel]

Good Analogy.

Now, when that all plays out, I say we "the coach" cut the players next season for such piss poor performance throughout the year.

Immie

 

[Ringel05]

The love of the game. Win some, lose some. Cross fingers and hope in the end the best [man/team/bill] wins.

Here's how the health care reform game is likely to play out, comparing it to my equal love of football:

...

And at the end of the "game," an asteroid hits the Earth and everyone is killed.

If the global warming crowd is correct then we'll all need scuba gear instead of insurance. Hey, at least I was Naui certified.

 

[Zoom-boing]

Good Analogy.

Now, when that all plays out, I say we "the coach" cut the players next season for such piss poor performance throughout the year.

Immie

 

[CrusaderFrank]

Great post, Mags!

I see this more like a futbol game.

Unfortunately, this isn't Maracana Stadium in Rio with a moat separating the fans from the players. The fans storm the field, take the ball and the game is called on account of rain.

 

[MaggieMae]

This Health Care Reform Bill is going to be the defining element of the Obama Presidency. If he fails to get it passed, he will go down in flames - which he just might regardless depending on what the economy does as a result of the huge stimulus money being spent with little or no meaningful results. The cost of the Health Care Reform bill is going to come heavily into play because I think most Americans don't want to spend this kind of money at a time when the economy is not anything near "good". How Obama comes up with the money to pay for it will be a key to the bill's passage. Now, if this Health Care Reform bill gets passed with the current publics very low opinion of it, there will be a large number of unemployed Democrat Congressmembers come the next election. The House most likely will change over to Republican control and that will also be Obama's defining moment. The absolute best thing he could do, politically, is to call a TIME OUT, and carry this ball into the locker room to have it well-discussed and come back out to the field with a better game plan. Under it's current form, economic situation of the nation, public opinion considered, and Congressional support, I think Obama looses the game 21 - 20 in overtime.

On the contrary, if no health care initiative gets passed after all this, costs from the private sector will continue to rise and the same grumbling will occur next year and beyond. What will happen is more and more people looking at people like you and saying we told you so...

Clinton took a hammering in the early months of his first term over health care, and the polls (like Obama) had everyone predicting Clinton's early demise, but he went on to do other controversial things, ultimately leaving office with an approval rating of over 60% in spite of the Lewinsky scandal.

Nothing is as predictable as you would like. All you can do is wish. Frankly, I might half-way agree with you if the Republicans had a decent candidate that could bring the party back together. But it's fractured, has no platform, and needs at least another full election cycle before the GOP earns back its credibility.

 

[MaggieMae]

I see this game as a 21-19 game. The quaterback has been injured, but not season ending at this point. The offense goes for a sure 3 pointer to win the game, and not the 7 points to cover the spread.
The quaterback is already in some pain, and if he had stayed for the spread, he may have suffered a season ending injury.

Hmmm, I've lost way too much money in the past on those "sure 3 pointers." But yes, the game could be played out that way. No harm, no foul but no real win either.

 

[MaggieMae]

The "loving it" part of politics, for me, is the Ah HAH!! moment when the maneuvering all comes together and makes sense, such as, the sudden decision by the Obama camp to tamp down the importance of the "public option." (Oh really...)

Exactly why I learned to hate politics--there NEVER is a time when the maneuvering comes together. Only brief vignettes of the same old crap from both parties. Over and over and over.

Yes, it's rarely nice. Especially these days. There was a time when such 'maneuvering' occurred in smoke-filled rooms beyond the chambers where the lawmakers gathered after shouting at each other all day. Somehow I think when gentlemen's agreements were made over toddies and cigars, if they were thereafter violated, then and only then was another course embarked upon over a specific bill.