Unexpected Health Care Plan Turning Point

I didn't post prior to President Obama's speech to the joint session of Congress last night because there really didn't seem like there was much to talk about. In fact, other than unloading several times on Republican efforts to deep-six anything the Democrats come up with, there wasn't much new in what Obama said.

However, there certainly is something to talk about from last night's speech.

Republican Congressman Joe Wilson from South Carolina, made the cardinal mistake of saying what he was thinking, at a loud volume, when nobody other than the president was making a sound. After President Obama had stated that his Health Care plan would NOT offer free care to illegal immigrants, Joe Wilson shouted "You lie!" very clearly in front of a national audience.


Previously little known outside his home state, Joe Wilson is about to become infamous nationwide as Democratic leaders are going to use his name as a rallying cry to line up support behind Health Care legislation. Democratic fence-sitters, especially those from districts that do NOT have a significant Republican majority so not want to be associated with Joe Wilson by voting 'No' on Health Care reform.

As I posted on Twitter before the speech, I thought that those who support the President would think it was a good speech and those who oppose him will not like the speech. No surprises there. But Obama didn't have to move the opinion dial very far on this issue. He just had to tweak a few, important votes in the middle and he may very well have done it. I think his tone and the examples of coverage, especially for pre-existing conditions will give some Blue Dog Dems and perhaps a Repub senator or two sufficient support from their constituents to vote "Yeah" on what will be a somewhat stripped down bill. Oh yeah, and Joe Wilson helped push the opinion dial a bit further as well.