When Ronald Reagan captured the minds of America, much of it had to do with talk of a bright new future. His "Morning In America" was both a theme and a commercial if memory serves. The idea was to paint a picture not of what the country was going through at the time, but a call to look forward to what could be.
I don't find it ironic that Barack Obama has something of the same message. To look beyond the turmoil, uncertainty of the present and dare to hope for better things to come. Of course, Obama seems to have a plan for how to make this happen, I was either too young and don't remember, or there was actually little of a plan back in 1980.
Another thing Regan's handlers did was to paint the would-be president as presidential. They draped him in the American flag. The Stars and Stripes appeared wherever Ronald Reagan appeared and I think that helped to allay fears that he was kind of a loose cannon. In fact, many referred to him as Ronnie Raygun.
I'm glad that the Obama camp did the same thing. In terms of the flag that is. He is taking back the flag proving that Democrats can be every bit as patriotic as Republicans.
The power of perception, if used correctly can yield a great many results. I guess it can yield a great many results if it's used incorrectly as well, now that I think about it.
Many won't remember the Harry and Louise ad from 1993. It was commissioned by a coalition of healthcare companies afraid of Bill Clinton's universal healthcare proposal. The ad proved effective: it talked of Universal Healthcare as the worst thing that could happen to the country. It said that this type of healthcare would have the government dictate your care as opposed to doctors.
Of course, what they didn't to say is that government would regulate healthcare so that doctors could treat patients without having to have HMO's and other Health Care Corporations decide whether a patients treatment was cost effective.
Well, Harry and Louise were back for a time a few months ago. And this time they spoke of getting a hold of the seemingly uncontrolled healthcare system.
I've heard stories that healthcare in the UK and Canada (government regulated) is horrible. But for my friend, a hockey player in Canada, he seems to do well. When his knee blew out, he had successful surgery right away. When his ankle was banged up, he had no problem getting it treated in a timely manner.
But what is, to me, perhaps the most telling is this; when my young friend (young is relative I guess) was diagnosed with a life threatening illness, an illness that was so uncommon that only a handful of adults each year are diagnosed with it, his treatment was swift, his medical and doctor visits were many, and his prognosis, thank goodness, is good.
He visited specialist after specialist, took a battery of medication and was left thinking about his life, his health and his family. He didn't worry about payment, about access or about treatment. The government regulated healthcare took care of all that for him.
We are the government. We The People are the Government. When I hear the right wing talk about how Government IS the problem, not the solution, I have to ask then what is the solution? Corporations? HMO's? PPO's? Banks? Mortgage Companies? Insurance Companies?
No.
And while there is nothing wrong with corporations, and nothing wrong with profit, if left to their own means, corporations will do what is best for them. And they should shouldn't they? I mean if they are to remain competitive they have to look out for their own well being.
And if we are to remain healthy both physically, and fiscally, then it is our duty to look after them. To make sure that they follow the rules and that they know it is we the people, the government, who run the table. Not the other way around.
I have hope for a brighter tomorrow. For the first time I believe there really will be a better Morning in America.
