Friday, August 21, 2009
Mr. President: Keep It Simple Stupid
Coming at the health-care debate from different angles, Peggy Noonan and Paul Krugman agree on one point: The president has not developed a simple, pithy, attractive message. Mickey Kaus has been pounding away at this for weeks. The president would have been much better off emphasizing the importance of universal coverage for all Americans and the security that brings to them. The majority of Americans appear ready for universal health care. But the debate is now over the means – and that’s where the president has allowed himself to get bogged down. Krugman thinks the president has made a big mistake by abandoning the public-option plan. I'd argue just the opposite: the public-option plan and its components are the source of the complexity and controversy – and most economists (even Krugman) concede it’s not even needed to achieve universal coverage.
Coming at the health-care debate from different angles, Peggy Noonan and Paul Krugman agree on one point: The president has not developed a simple, pithy, attractive message. Mickey Kaus has been pounding away at this for weeks. The president would have been much better off emphasizing the importance of universal coverage for all Americans and the security that brings to them. The majority of Americans appear ready for universal health care. But the debate is now over the means – and that’s where the president has allowed himself to get bogged down. Krugman thinks the president has made a big mistake by abandoning the public-option plan. I'd argue just the opposite: the public-option plan and its components are the source of the complexity and controversy – and most economists (even Krugman) concede it’s not even needed to achieve universal coverage.
