Bill Clinton agreed to lend his weight to President Barack Obama’s effort at educating people about the U.S. health-care overhaul, a helping hand needed to combat confusion as key parts of the law begin Oct. 1.
Clinton, a two-term U.S. president who left office in 2001, will promote the Affordable Care Act in a Sept. 4 speech from his museum in Little Rock, Arkansas, according to a statement today from his philanthropic foundation. A White House aide, Dan Pfeiffer, welcomed Clinton’s help and quipped on Twitter that the former president is “the Secretary of Explaining Stuff.”
“He generally is very effective at what people call retail politics; talking about things as they directly affect people’s lives,” Robert Blendon, a professor at the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, said in a telephone interview.
I think this is a BRILLIANT move by President Obama!
Clinton can outsmart and outmaneuver most of those knuckle-draggers over on the Right Wing with half of his brain tied behind his back.
What's more this brings the Clinton's back into the health care debate and helps to lubricate the transition from the Obama administration to the Hillary administration.
I can hardly wait to see Bill start to dismantle the Republican argument for defunding the Affordable Care Act or repealing it altogether. He is going to make them look like nothign more than school yard bullies, and take their lunch money while he's at it.
Good Christ! Obama should have had the Big Dog out there from the very beginning. We really lost the messaging game big time in 2009 and 2010. We let the Republicans seize the commentary on this.
ReplyDeleteIf I have one complaint about the Obama administration it is their complete fucking up of the messaging on Obama care.
Dear Phoebes -- I think the timing is well-considered. Rather than going on and on about all the benefits of the ACA, as if responding to the GOP whining was worthwhile, they're now bringing in their big guns just before the enrollment process begins.
DeleteMost people won't have been paying attention to it all -- now they will, with Clinton and other well-known people speaking out about enrollment and the ACA's benefits.
We can agree to disagree about this strategy :)
In the beginning of O'Care, people were more concerned about jobs and paid little attention. The program's slow implementation was what held back the messaging. It would be like describing human anatomy without the cadaver.
DeleteAnon@11.43a - I'm glad Clinton's out there. He's the best 'splainer around. I think what I remember is that when Romneycare was rolled out in Massachusetts, the state government had people go on every local TV and radio program to explain the benefits, took out large ads in the local papers across the state, and held "Town Halls" everywhere. They went out and sold, sold, sold the plan.
DeleteI wish the Obama administration had done the same thing from the git-go. There WERE people listening and they listened to the GOP because they were the only ones talking...and talking, and talking...and lying, lying, lying.
On the other hand, the Clintons were not as fond of Obama as they later became.
When pres Bush pushed thru his tax reduction plan, IRS sent refund checks to most households that said (more or less) "courtesy of Pres. Bush's tax plan. And to give credit where it's due, Gov. Palin did the same thing with her state tax rebate. Both were smart marketing. So how come every rebate check from insurance companies (overpayments for admin costs) doesn't say "courtesy of Obamacare", same as to coverage of pre-existing conditions, or kids staying on their parents insurance. Sell it!
DeleteBill Clinton has a knack for explaining things that the average person can understand. He breaks it down into terms that people can relate to. And I agree, this is a perfect setup for Hillary.
ReplyDeleteTerrific Move! We are on our way and Hillary already has a basic, comprehensive knowledge of the health care issue from her dogged tenacity all those years ago.
ReplyDeleteIt feels good to think the Clinton's will have an active part in making the opponents to Obamacare eat their words.
Is there a surgery (covered, of course, even if it is a pre-existing condition) for removing toxic words you've eaten?
Wonderful idea. Clinton is well respected, not only in the US but worldwide, respected for his intelligence. Too bad the gop does not attract intelligent politicians, isn't it? Imagine W trying to explain ANYTHING to anyone? How soon before $carah starts on Bill with her snarky comments, I wonder. The gop will not like this idea, two smart Presidents, working together for the good of the citizens.
ReplyDeleteThat coward cretin better think twice before she takes on Bill! She's just dumb enough to do it, also too.
Delete+ 1,000. Great comments!!!
DeleteI'd suspect President Clinton would ignore Palin much the same as President Obama. She's not worth their 'direct' commentary. A total idiot up against two brilliant men and both POTUS. Love it, love it!
DeleteAin't it grand? She knows she can't hold a candle to them. All blather, and this time she will get her @ss handed to her big time if she even attempts a run at anything.
Delete"A total idiot up against two brilliant men and both POTUS. Love it, love it!"
Delete----------------------
And both of them with brilliant, talented, educated, accomplished spouses.
Bill Clinton can dismantle lies spread with humor then be direct giving accurate information.
DeleteStop Obamacare by all means possible
ReplyDeleteDefund it
Repeal it
How is ACA personally harming you? You spew shit but have nothing to back it up. So put your facts out or stfu about it
DeleteYeah, because rethugs would rather children, elderly and the poor just die. it's cheaper
DeleteIt's the law of the land.
DeleteThe Congress, by and large, can't defund it.
To repeal it would take an act by both houses of Congress and the signature of the President.
So, the time to object to Obamacare -- ACA -- was a couple of years ago.
If and when the GOP ever retakes the Congress and the White House, the ACA will have become so much a part of the culture -- just as Medicare is now -- that taking away benefits will not be a popular or feasible move.
You lost.
Gee. No thanks. I'll just sign up for individual insurance on the exchange program instead.
DeleteThen who will pay for your psychotherapy?
Deleteanonymous 10:33 AM, is that you feeble minded sarah? Everyone knows you've had free healthcare since you married toad, so stfu, and let the rest of us receive good healthcare as well. did they pay for your tubal after piper diaper was born?
DeleteActually jcinco Alaska Native health only covers a non-native female spouse during pregnancy and childbirth. However Sarah would still be covered under her State of Alaska plan after serving as half term Governor.
DeleteSatire as haiku (well, almost)! Luv your posts, keep them coming!
DeleteIlliterate dolts like you that hate America are sickening. You should be ashamed of yourself for wanting to destroy this country.
DeleteAs opposed to what? Dying faster?
DeleteTroll.
DeleteRinse.
Repeat.
Brilliant, President Obama! Bill Clinton will do an outstanding job against those asshole Republicans and things are getting set up beautifully for Hillary to take over being POTUS during the next election cycle.
ReplyDeleteOur President is the best chess player out there in politics. Nobody better!
I agree. He made Hillary Sec of State so she wouldn't have to get into any political squabbles for 4 years. This set her up to get some real national and international cred and prepare for her run in 2016. Now he puts Bill to work doing what he does best...sell, explain, entertain. Bill gets people's attention with his humor and popularity, then after he hooks them on the subject matter, he dissects it so that a toddler could understand.
DeleteI was watching speeches yesterday and thinking that Bill Clinton is even more attractive than he was when he left office. And does he know how to give a speech or what? He believes every word he says, explains thing to everyday people, and could probably convince me to do about anything. I so admire him and his family, as well as the Obamas. And frankly, I think NOT choosing Hillary for VP set her up far better for 2016. Having 4 years as Secretary of State, while we ended a war and wound down another makes her about the most knowledgeble person on the planet regarding foreign policy. I'm sure she had far more power than cowering Condi ever did, who had to answer to Darth Cheney. I hope she runs; the debates will be priceless.
ReplyDeleteSo very true!
DeleteGreat! President Clinton sure is "the Secretary of Explaining Stuff". He really delves into specifics in time-limited speech and never loses his ground. He's very good at laying things out on the table.
ReplyDeleteI hope he throws a little bone to Sarah in the process.
You want him to bone Sara? Ewwww.
Delete(Pagan) prayers: answered!
ReplyDeleteA sign of leadership: getting the best people involved. And President Clinton so deftly combines a terrific skill at "let me just break it down for you, folks" explanations with an absolutely ruthless ability to (verbally and conceptually) kneecap ignorant opponents.
Every, every, every time Our Sarah dares to speak up about the ACA, she should be put in her place since she and her family benefit from FEDERALLY FUNDED
ReplyDeletehealth care, through Tawd's tiny strain of Native blood.
She also undoubtedly took advantage of government healthcare as Governor and as Mayor.
If she didn't have health care for Trig, she wouldn't be able to get it as a private citizen, since he's got a "pre-existing condition." Nor could she get coverage for her insanity, if she ever wanted to get mental health care on her own.
Bristol's cramp pills, baby delivery, well-child check-ups, immunizations for Tripp -- all covered by Native health care. As a single, unemployed mother, but with her tv income, she'd have to pay a high price for "family care."
The Palins benefit from what they want to deny to all other Americans.
This Is What Obamacare Outreach Looks Like (VIDEOS)
ReplyDeletehttp://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2013/08/how-the-obamacare-health-exchanges-are-marketing-themselves.php?ref=fpb
I dare the skank to say one word...as much as Bill likes the women he'd probably rather put his willie in a meat grinder than you, you 1/2 wit. so don't think your imaginary "feminine wiles" will get you anywhere, stinky.
ReplyDeleteShe'll try, jcinco. And fail miserably. The crazy lady's run out of tongue to bite years ago.
DeleteI give Bill Clinton a lot of credit. Despite the witchhunt after his personal foibles in office, he left our country in the best shape it's ever been. When it became clear President Obama would win, he and Hillary did what's right for the country and set aside the bitterness and animosity that comes with running for office and losing.
ReplyDeleteRare quality and very admirable. And with this move, he's lending his greatest talent to help sell Obamacare to those who see line items and not people.