Searching for Direction versus giving Direction
Recently, I wrote that the "Universal Healthcare" program wasn't the President's plan and that his platform was "Healthcare Reform".
One can certainly theorize as to whether he would want a single payer system and full, all out Socialized Healthcare. After all, there is a lot of conflicting material (some from the President himself) out there and plenty of static coming from concerned citizens on all sides of the issue. To quote Buffalo Springfield: "A thousand people in the street, Singing songs and carrying signs, Mostly say, hooray for our side". With all that, it's certainly hard to get a handle on exactly what the President really wants.
Therein lies the problem: "Obama's Healthcare" is an unknown. We can guess as to what he wants Health Care in America to become, but we shouldn't have to. What we can safely say is that he wants the Golden Fleece, the Holy Grail of the Democratic party; he's looking for a historical legacy that will be his magnum Opus to define his 1st term; yet he hasn't LED on this issue because he'll settle for anything as long as it even faintly resembles the coveted trophy of "Universal Healthcare" and he'll possibly settle for something far less, just to save face.
Some will say his pushing Congress to pass a bill demonstrates leadership on the issue , yet anyone who's ever had an moment of leadership training or experience knows leading means taking the reigns, assuming responsibility, devising and executing a plan. So far President Obama has chided House members, worked (if you can call returning the softball pitches the media continues to throw at him working) the media and he's had his people (namely Rahm Emanuel) work over the Blue Dog Democrats, but again, that's not leadership and it's certainly not the hope and change he was voted into office to enact.
If the President really wanted Universal Healthcare over a first term legacy HE would create a team to develop a plan (ala what Hillary Clinton tried to do in 1993), then vet it by public feedback sessions; changing it as needed from the public feedback. Remember those campaign promises of not rushing legislation through? How about the promises of the most transparent administration ever? He took 6 months to pick a dog, shouldn't America take at least that long to hammer out a substantive Health Care Reform plan?
Once a substantive program has been vetted through a lengthy exposure to the public, President Obama could then take the plan to the House and Senate and say "Here is what the people want- do what you were hired to do and pass the peoples will!" That would be huge, a display of true leadership and follow through on the campaign promises that put him into office.
Instead, he's being the (bad) Boss at work we've all had at one point or another, the one who says the company needs to achieve a goal to survive, dumps the onus onto the department heads and says "get it done" . Trouble is he doesn't offer any support, coordination, planning or logistics to achieve this goal. If it fails, he tells the board (in this case the American public) the team failed because the two departments (House, Senate) couldn't get their act together and are being replaced. Of course if anything close to the goal is met, he will be the first to take credit for it with the board and will become the new centerpiece to his resume and leverage in future compensation negotiations.
Health Care reform is something nearly everyone agrees on, we just don't agree what needs to be done; Mr. President, It's not too late to take the reigns - Lead, follow or get the hell out of the way.
