 |
Oct 16, 2008 - 05:59 AM |
|
 |
On McCain, Obama, The Debate and Healthcare |
|
|
I watched a large portion of last night's debate, something that's somewhat out of character for me.
See, going into the telecast, I wasn't firmly in any candidate's camp. I've been leaning toward Obama for a little while but it was mostly because I felt slightly less apathetic toward him. The deepest insight I'd had about the entire race was my general feeling that Joseph Biden doesn't make me feel as if my attention is being diverted from critical issues. I cannot say the same of Palin.
I sat through most of the debate, treating it as one would a drinking game. ("Joe the plumber" would've had me unconscious on the floor, soaked in my own vomit.) I cracked wise when able, sparing no punches for either candidate. In my opinion, Barack Obama still vaguely resembles Apocalypse from the X-Men and this concerns me.
Anyhow, I was all lulz and shitgiggles until the mediator, whomever he was, raised the topic of health care. Certain issues don't faze me but, for several obvious reasons, health care is something about which I care rather deeply. My attention was fixed, I was in serious mode.
As I expected, each candidate proposed the healthcare plan that best suits the ideology of his party:
- Democrats: Give money to people who don't necessarily deserve it, at the expense of people who probably worked pretty hard to get that money. Nobody wins but fewer people die in a ditch somewhere. Grant needful people access to government healthcare plans. Somehow, this is not the same as Medicaid.
- Republicans: Keep the money in the hands of the people who already have it. Trickle-down economics will work one of these times! If we cannot afford healthcare, we will be guaranteed the freedom to choose the type of coverage we do not have!
Toward the latter half of the subject, McCain was handed the floor for rebuttal. He attempted to point out that not all people require their healthcare plan chosen for them, as Obama's plan could do in some situations. McCain then went and pissed me off. He referred to some existing policies as "gold Cadillac plans", then pointed out that they cover such frivolous procedures as cosmetic surgery and transplants. Though McCain didn't directly declare it, he strongly insinuated in his remark that organ transplant is as vain and unnecessary as a tummy tuck. Were it not for my own hard-fought efforts, I wouldn't have one of these "gold Cadillac plans" currently enabling my impending transplant procedure; and I don't enjoy being told that my reasons for pushing my physical limitations for the sake of keeping this insurance aren't as necessary as, say, Joe the Plumber's.
I can't support that. No way. It felt like a direct slight. I tried to view the statement more objectively but nothing could erase those words. This is a candidate who (now) opposes abortion, so the logical understanding is that McCain would believe all life precious. It seems rather hypocritical - at least to me - to then categorize organ transplants as superficial. He might as well have opposed seat belts after that remark.
I'm rather glad that Obama chose to point out that McCain's proposed healthcare bill would take unfair advantage of and restructure several existing corporate residency by-laws in such a way that healthcare providers would be allowed to "cherrypick" their customers, refusing coverage to some who fail to meet health standards. I knew this already due to having looked into the bill myself several weeks ago, noticing the same flaws. It made me leery of McCain but if Obama said nothing to oppose those points, then I'd have held him as a passive supporter of pandering on that level. Hence, why my support was still undeclared. We vote closest to the issues that resonate in our daily lives. This is how it should be.
I'm leaning a lot more toward Obama at this point, and unless he comes out iin favor of raping whales or turning babies into mulch, I'll probably vote for him. I doubt Obama will be as revolutionary as his campaign promises but as long as he doesn't do much actual damage he'll be leaps and bounds above his predecessor. It'll be a monumentally difficult task to somehow appear worse than G.W. after four years.
And McCain will always have the beer industry to fall back upon.
Palin can fall beneath a hay thresher for all I care. When members of your own party concede that your primary function is P.R. fluff, all credibility is lost.
Response entries:
For you, Crash. by Animechanic
|
|
|
|
|
