Can An Activist Government Solve Complex Social Problems Impacting Every American?

A little neglect may breed great mischief… for want of a nail, a shoe was lost; for want of a shoe the horse was lost; and for want of horse, the rider was lost.

Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790), Courteous Reader

This morning’s New York Times contains a remarkable article “Inside the Race to Rescue a Health Site, and Obama: Slow to Grasp Insurance Portal’s Problem, White House Had to Play Catch-up”

Why is the article "remarkable"?

Because it comes  from the proverbial Bible of American Liberalism.  Because it appears on the front page of the Times. Because it is over 5000 words long,=. Because it  describes sheer political panic within the White House and website builders.  Because it documents divisions between the White House,  CMS, website subcontractors, and America’s health insurance plans. 

Insurance plans must deliver the White House’s nobly intended  great social good –  affordable care for  all Americans.  

To the White House's chagrin and astonishment,  the majority of Americans now consider this "good"  to be part of  a “bill of goods, ” a promise that was dishonest and misleading delivered by an incompetent administration who knew from the start the health law  would cause millions of Americans to lose their  current plans. This loss of health plans, which may sooner or later affect 89 million two 100 million of us, knaws at American's soul, at its sense of social injustice, ast something gone sadly and badly wrong.

The Times article is an admission that Obama’s credibility and American liberalism’s philosophy are now at stake.  It is an admission that President Obama may have neglected the proverbial horse’s digital nail until too late, thereby threating his role as the horse’s main rider.   It is an admission  that centralized government cannot legislate and impose its will upon skeptical Americans.

Apparently the President was caught unaware healthcare.gov was not ready for prime-time.   The Times article describes a tense 90 minute White House meeting on October 15 when the website was literally falling apart.  Obama’s closest advisors were there at the meeting.  So was Todd Park, his chief technology officer along with other technology gurus.

The President, according to insiders at the meeting, was “frustrated and furious.” Those present – including dozens of White House officials, lawmakers, insurance executives.

Interviews with healthcare.gov “war room”participants   revealed that an “insular " White House  did not appreciate the magnitude of its self-inflicted wounds. It  sought help from trusted insiders as it scrambled to protect Mr. Obama’s image.  That image, in th eyes of many Americans,  has become a mirage of social justice.

This protection has not been enough.   The popularity of Obama and his handling of the health law have sunk to an all-time low.    There is open talk among conservatives like George Will, Charles Krauthammer, Republican leaders, and dissident Democrats that liberalism is dead, that the health law is DOA for 2014-2015, and we ought to start all over again.

Loyal  Democrats insist ObamaCare  remains the right thing to do ,the healthcare.gov fix is well underway,  that over time the public will grow to love ObamaCare,  but Democrats running for re-election in 2014 are not so sure and are demanding  change.  

The mantra on the Republican side is that ObamaCare is simply “unworkable, “ and Obama’s one year delay of the small business mandate is an admission on  Obama’s part  that ObamaCare is indeed unworkable.  

The Times article concludes with this comment by President Obama, “ I’m absolutely sure we’re going to make sure this country provides affordable care for every single American.  And if I have to fight for another three years to see  that happens, I will do so,’ He did not mention the website.”

Tweet:   The ObamaCare administration is scrambling to improve healthcare.gov, hoping its improvement will restore President Obama’s credibility