BarbinMD (DailyKos): Countering Begala's Countering of Luntz
Several weeks ago the king of Republican talking points, Frank Luntz, put out a memo outlining how the GOP could once again kill meaningful health care reform. And in what has become par for the course, Luntz advised distortions and obfuscations, while offering no plan of their own. So of course Republican lawmakers have been all over it.
And now Democratic strategist Paul Begala has come out with a memo of his own, advising how Democrats can counter the "Republican Orwellian Rhetoric":
... the road ahead will not be easy, and health care reform has powerful opponents.
Veteran Republican pollster Frank Luntz has circulated a memo which attempts to teach Republicans how to kill health care reform by misleading people ... There is one fact that animates the Republicans’ strategy. It should animate yours as well. That fact is this: the overwhelming majority of American support health care reform.
The Republicans have three goals:
- Co-opt our messaging;
- Confuse voters; and
- Kill health care reform.
Begala goes through Luntz's ten-point plan and offers suggestions on how his talking points can be rebutted -- Luntz's talking points are italicized.
- (1) Humanize your approach. Abandon and exile ALL references to the "healthcare system." From now on, healthcare is about people. Before you speak, think of the three components of tone that matter most: Individualize. Personalize. Humanize.
Begala: Luntz is right about this. His counsel to abandon all references to the health care system is spot-on ... Reformers should tell stories, not cite statistics. You should banish from your lexicon the oft-cited statistic that 48 million Americans lack health insurance.
When Republicans repeat the Luntz talking point about humanizing the argument, we should say: When I think of health care reform, I think of ________________.
... and Begala then gives examples that personalizes the situation; someone who works hard, but can no longer afford insurance, with a sick child and bills piling up; he then segues into someone who is worried about the rising cost of insurance and what will happen if a medical emergency strikes. And that's all great. But I'm not sure how Begala thinks someone is going to have the time to tell long-winded stories. Sure, we need to humanize it, but we need to do it in short bytes and remember that people aren't stupid. They don't need someone telling them a story that they are all too familiar with. Why not just say, "We all know someone who either doesn't have insurance or is afraid they won't be able to afford a catastrophic illness. Americans want reform, and despite the best effort by the Republican party, we intend to deliver it."
- (2) Acknowledge the “crisis” or suffer the consequences. If you say there is no healthcare crisis, you give your listener permission to ignore everything else you say. It is a credibility killer for most Americans. A better approach is to define the crisis in your terms. “If you’re one of the millions who can’t afford healthcare, it is a crisis.” Better yet, “If some bureaucrat puts himself between you and your doctor, denying you exactly what you need, that’s a crisis.” And the best: “If you have to wait weeks for tests and months for treatment, that's a healthcare crisis."
Begala: Rather than address that real-world crisis, Luntz counsels Republicans to redefine the crisis as mythological lines at the doctor’s office of the future, writing, “If you have to wait for weeks for tests and months for treatment, that's a health care crisis" ... You must not let Republicans succeed in defining the crisis downward. Having to sit in the waiting room is a nuisance. Not being able to afford to go to the doctor’s office at all is a crisis. That is the actual crisis we’re addressing with the President’s proposal for quality, affordable health care for all.
Saying, "Having to sit in a waiting room is a nuisance. Not being able to afford to go to the doctor's office at all is a crisis," is the sound byte -- but Begala offers an eye-glazing 75-word response that includes health insurance, health care, peace of mind, illness, accident, bankruptcy, peace of mind (again), cost, times are tough, and health care (again). People aren't stupid and pundits aren't given unlimited time to wax poetic.
- (3) “Time” is the government healthcare killer ... Nothing else turns people against the government takeover of healthcare than the realistic expectation that it will result in delayed and potentially even denied treatment, procedures and/or medications. “Waiting to buy a car or even a house won’t kill you. But waiting for the healthcare you need – could. Delayed care is denied care.”
Begala: Increased delays are not a realistic expectation, and you cannot allow the Republicans to pretend otherwise ... You can choose your doctor and choose your plan. Strikingly, Luntz actually counsels Republicans to attack insurance companies: "Call the Democratic plan a ‘bailout for the insurance industry" ... Do not let them get away with this. Our plan will stop insurance companies from denying you coverage or dumping you for having a pre-existing condition. The Republican status quo – which is the GOP plan – is a blank check for insurance companies.
And the last line, "Our plan will stop insurance companies from denying you coverage ... the GOP plan - is a blank check for insurance companies," is great. But Begala suggests (this time in 101 words) a long response that sounds like ... well, it sounds like a used car salesman.
- (4) The arguments against the Democrats’ healthcare plan must center around “politicians,” “bureaucrats,” and “Washington” ... not the free market, tax incentives, or competition ... they are deathly afraid that a government takeover will lower their quality of care – so they are extremely receptive to the anti- Washington approach. It’s not an economic issue. It’s a bureaucratic issue.
Begala: You must not let the opposition get away with defining our reforms as bureaucratic. Our reforms are quality, affordable health care. The government's role in this will be to help control costs and ensure quality.
In Begala's suggested response, he says:
... we should say: The Republicans want to put corporations in control; we want to put you in control ... When we fix the system, they’ll be regulated so they have to charge reasonable prices and deliver quality service.
Again, great point. The rest is just noise.
- (5) The healthcare denial horror stories from Canada & Co. do resonate, but you have to humanize them. You’ll notice we recommend the phrase “government takeover” rather than “government run” or “government controlled" ... “In countries with government run healthcare, politicians make YOUR healthcare decisions. THEY decide if you'll get the procedure you need, or if you are disqualified because the treatment is too expensive or because you are too old. We can't have that in America."
Begala: This is where Luntz advocates outright dishonesty. Under our system you and your doctor will control your care. And if you don’t like your insurance company, you will have the power to choose another option. Under the current system – which the Republicans want to protect and preserve – insurance companies hold the decision-making power and control your coverage. Republicans want to keep it this way, with corporations in control.
Excellent points by Begala. But he suggests the response should be a chest-thumping, "We're America. We cured polio, blah, blah, blah." Why buy into ridiculous claims? All too often, Democrats waste time by defending themselves against Republican distractions ... for a change, why not just say, "Comparisons to Canada are ridiculous. Republicans want to keep control of health care in the hands of the insurance companies, so of course they want to distract people with this kind of garbage. What we want to do ..."
- (6) Healthcare quality = “getting the treatment you need, when you need it.” That is how Americans define quality, and so should you. Once again, focus on the importance of timeliness, but then add to it the specter of “denial.” Nothing will anger Americans more than the chance that they will be denied the healthcare they need for whatever reason.
Begala: When Republicans repeat the Luntz talking point that our plan will deny treatment and increase waiting, we should say: Every day, insurance companies deny people care. As health care costs keep rising, it will only get worse. And yet the Republicans are committed to a system that puts profits ahead of people. That’s why they oppose Pres. Obama’s reforms and why they have no reform plan of their own. Our plan reduces costs, increases access, and protects choice.
Not bad, but tighten it up and inject a little sarcasm: "Who are they trying to kid? People are already being denied coverage every single day. Republicans seem more interested in putting profits over people and that's why they're fighting against President Obama's reforms rather than offering a plan of their own."
- (7) “One-size-does-NOT-fit-all.” The idea that a “committee of Washington bureaucrats” will establish the standard of care for all Americans and decide who gets what treatment based on how much it costs is anathema to Americans. Your approach? Call for the “protection of the personalized doctor-patient relationship.”
Begala writes a novel-length response for this one. He needs to remember that unless you're the president (or apparently, a former VP), no one is going to let you make a speech. Edited down version:
The doctor-patient relationship is under assault under the current system. Every time someone loses their health insurance, when someone can’t afford to keep up with rising costs, the doctor-patient relationship is severed. By reducing costs, expanding access and ensuring quality we put the doctor-patient relationship at the heart of our health care reform.
- (8) WASTE, FRAUD, and ABUSE are your best targets for how to bring down costs ... you can and should blame it on the waste, fraud, and abuse that is rampant in anything and everything the government controls.
Begala: When the Republicans repeat the Luntz talking point about waste, fraud and abuse, we should say: Obviously there is waste, fraud and abuse. But where’s your plan to tackle them? Who do you think is going to crack down [continuing rant] ...
Wrong! When Mitch McConnell or Eric Cantor start whining about how crappy the government is, say, "You ARE the government. Now let's talk about who's benefiting from that waste and fraud; it's the insurance companies that you want to protect." It's okay to attack, because it will certainly be reciprocated.
- (9) Americans will expect the government to look out for those who truly can’t afford healthcare. Here is the perfect sentence ... “A balanced, common sense approach that provides assistance to those who truly need it and keeps healthcare patient-centered rather than government-centered for everyone.”
Again, a highly edited version of Begala's suggested response:
Republicans have opposed every effort to make health care more affordable for everyone. And why shouldn't they? After all, every member of the House and the Senate already has an affordable health care plan.
- (10) It’s not enough to just say what you’re against. You have to tell them what you’re for. It’s okay (and even necessary) for your campaign to center around why this healthcare plan is bad for America ... You simply MUST be vocally and passionately on the side of reform.
I'm just going to ignore Begala's suggested response to this and go with what he says here:
The Republican “plan” is really just the status quo on steroids. They want to keep pumping more money – your money – into the same broken system. If we fix the system ... people will be able to afford good health care.
Don't get me wrong; Begala has a lot of great points and suggestions. He just makes the mistake of going for speeches rather than countering short talking points with short but pointed rebuttals. Most of his best lines are when he is explaining the reasoning behind his suggested responses. He seems to have forgotten that pundits aren't given the time to orate, and even if they were, no one wants to hear it.
Begala says:
And he's absolutely right. But we need to punch, not pontificate.Do not let the Republicans kill reform by co-opting our message. When they repeat their talking points, you must punch holes in them.
Honestly I preferred Begala's plan.
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