From the National Journal website, there is heresay upon hearsay that President Obama said that if his healthcare plan isn't passed his presidency will be destroyed. If he indeed said this, it seems he is throwing in the towel rather early. Then again, I believe he thought the Iraq War was lost a few years ago, too.
Anyway, in looking at polling on issues just before the 2008 Election, the percentages in order of importance were: Economy- 57%, War in Iraq- 13%, Healthcare- 13%, Terrorism- 10%, Illegal Immigration- 5%, etc.
I have never heard of presidential destruction based on an over-regulated, freedom killing domestic bill not being passed. However, given that the economy ranks so high on the list above, Obama would reach a better conclusion by admitting that his presidency may end up being destroyed because of the economic measures that he was able to pass. (see stimulus, GM, etc.)
However, there may be no better reason for the fawning media to tout passage of the H.R. 3200 then for their simple fact that "Obama Really Needs This; for now anyway". Perhaps if Obama really said what's reported in the story, he was just giving the media the motivation they need to begin a full court press of Obamacare propoganda. He'll be on T.V. again tonight. Look for him to put on one of his "best" shows yet.
Update: 1:22 PM
I'm sorry, I don't get this whole idea that if Obama doesn't get his signature issue of healthcare passed, his presidency will be over. He spent much of his candidacy during the Democrat primary repeating over and over how he came out against the Iraq War but Hillary voted for it. Aside from that and his receiving the crown as media's king, we didn't see a whole lot of difference between those two candidates. After finally wrapping up the nomination in early summer 2008, he only eclipsed McCain after an economic catastrophe. It was never about who had the better healthcare plan. Yet, geniuses like Charles Krauthammer now think it is make or break for his presidency. It's almost like the next selling point will be that in order to be good Americans, we must get behind Obama's bill, however bad, to boost the standing of Obama and save an American president from his own demise. Has it come down to this? Must I hand over my Blue Cross/ Blue Shield PPO to save the union?
Krauthammer's Take [NRO Staff]
From last night's "All-Stars."
On the state of health-care legislation:
Look, it is about politics but it's mostly, despite what Obama also said yesterday, it's about him. It is entirely about him.
It's not about cost control, because all of the plans are going to raise the costs.
It's not about improving quality. If anything, these machinations are going to decrease the quality of American health care.
And it surely isn't about efficiency—the inefficiency that has accrued in the health care system as it developed over the decades—because it's going to introduce all kinds of new commissions, new regulations, all kinds of inefficiencies.
It is about Obama. This is [the] signature achievement he has promised. If he doesn't have it, if he doesn't have a bill, any bill, at the end of the year, his presidency is going to be seriously damaged, and all the mystique will disappear. Which is why...I'm absolutely sure that at the end of the year, he will have a bill. It will have the words "health-care reform" on it. It will be extremely watered down: All of the ballast that the Blue Dogs were protesting against, including, I'm sure, the public plan, is going to be thrown overboard.
And it will be a very weak version of what we have now, probably even harmless—which will be a great American achievement. But he's going to have something. He won't have it in August, but he will have to have it at the end of the year.
Democrats understand his presidency is over if he gets nothing. (bold mine)
So the Democrats must save his presidency and pass some sort of health care bill, see. Remember when the Republicans saved George W. Bush's Presidency by standing on the 3rd rail of politics (Social Security Reform)? You don't remember because they didn't even humor him on the issue. If Social Security Reform was the "3rd Rail of Politics", than this healthcare bill is both the train and the rope which ties you down to the tracks.
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