FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:
President Obama's speech to Congress tonight is seen as a turning point, one way or the other, when it comes to health care reform.
The month of August clearly didn't go according to the Democrats' plan; and even now, divisions within the president's own party threaten to stop his signature issue from moving forward.
Camille Paglia - who supports the president - writes on Salon.com that it's still possible for the president to turn things around with a strong speech tonight, but acknowledges that after a "summer of grisly hemorrhaging, too much damage has been done."
Paglia asks how a White House that couldn't even smoothly pull off an "innocuous back-to-school pep talk" will revamp health care, and criticizes the Democratic Party for becoming "arrogantly detached from ordinary Americans" and for not realizing that talk radio and the web is where the debate is at.
Maureen Dowd goes after the president in today's New York Times for not being tough enough:
"Sometimes, when you've got the mojo, you have to keep your foot on your opponent's neck. Civil discourse is fine, but when the other side is fighting dirty, you should get angry. Don't let the bully kick sand in your face."
Dowd suggests the president needs to be "less Spocky and more Rocky."
But despite all the gnashing of teeth, it's worth pointing out that the critical players in the industry are still at the table, and it's also worth remembering the political cost to Bill Clinton when reform didn't happen on his watch.
Here’s my question to you: Is it too late for Pres. Barack Obama to change people's minds on health care reform?
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
Susan from Birmingham, Alabama writes:
You know, he's had all summer to explain his health reform plan and he still needs more time? Please, if he can't sell it by now it’s too late. This is one of his most important issues and he can't get it done. I think it’s the substance of the plan and not the speaker that’s the problem.
Bob writes:
Unless the president adds tort reform (puts a cap on these medical lawsuits) and doesn't raise taxes on the middle class, he has no chance.
Joey from Ellenton, Florida writes:
With respect, Jack, I believe that the media have overstated the number of minds that need to be changed. From all I can gather, those who are disinclined towards health care reform are: health care insurance providers who don't want to lose their monopoly, Republican (and some Democratic) lawmakers who don't want to lose the donations of health care insurance providers, and a few hysterical, misinformed, Americans who don't know socialism from shinola. Even combined, these people don't constitute a majority. The president needs to express what he wants, state what America needs, and offer us a way to go. And he is well able to do it.
Cheryl from Houston writes:
Looks like we needed Hillary the fighter instead. She would not have allowed the Republicans to get away with all of this.
John writes:
It’s too late. He had his chance to be a changing force, but he proved in the first week of his presidency by making exception to no lobbyists in the White House that he is the same. I regret my vote.
Stephen writes:
Jack, I think we're finally getting into the health care debate and Obama might be releasing details that we can sink our teeth into. The real question to me is "Are the conservatives full of crack pots or are the crack pots just getting all the air play?" The country has gotten kind of weird as of late.