Ever since the start of the shutdown, Ted Cruz and his Tea Party ilk have regularly stated that they're speaking for the American people with their actions and demands, because America doesn't want Obamacare. Cruz even went so far as to say if the American public was polled on whether or not to defund Obamacare, we'd vote 100-0 to defund it. Of course, the only poll which shows such numbers resides in the mind of Ted Cruz himself, since every reputable poll has shown that the public doesn't want to defund the healthcare plan and they especially don't want it to be the reason for the shutdown. Perhaps what Cruz was really stating with his poll numbers is that he hears 100 voices, all of whom support the defunding of Obamacare.
Cruz and company love to talk about poll numbers surrounding Obamacare. Why wouldn't they? The Republican Party spent how much money on negative ads surrounding the healthcare reform bill? They spent how much time during election season talking about how they'd repeal the bill if elected to office? They've spent how much in taxpayer dollars trying to repeal it? Meanwhile, President Obama and the Democratic Party didn't even come close to matching the GOP in ads regarding the bill or in spreading word about it in other ways. So, yes, if one were to look at things from a black-and-white perspective, a majority of Americans don't approve of the new healthcare law. However, if we look at thing more in-depthly, the public seems to support it much more than they realize. When the public has been asked about separate components of the bill, almost every single one has received strong support - all except for the individual mandate. Given all this, I think it's pretty foolish to think these poll numbers Senator Cruz and others allude to can truly showcase just how much Americans will or won't approve of Obamacare once the law is fully implemented and they experience it first-hand. When one party seems to spend every breath and dollar trying to frighten the public about a coming law and the other party doesn't spend much time or money to counter the claims made by the first party, no matter how egregious the claims might be, the public will be more prone to believing party A over party B.
To illustrate just how ridiculous Cruz and company's claims are based on what's transpired to this point, here's a short story on the matter:
Setting: A focus group in a classroom
Researcher Sigmund Fraud: "Welcome. What I'm about to show you is a series of commercials all regarding the same drug. Once the commercials have ended, I would like for us to discuss what you think and how you feel about them. Here we go..."
Commercial #1
"Have you ever taken a pill you thought might kill you? Whether you have or not, that's exactly what could happen if you take the new drug PainErase! Sure, it sounds harmless, but did you know the name PainErase comes from a guy by the name of Mr. Pain? From this point forward, we'll just refer to the drug as Pain, because that's exactly what it is! With "Pain," you will experience pain and discomfort you've never felt before! Don't wanna die today? Then don't take the drug "Pain!" Side effects include: Blindness, fiery genitals, a broken neck via a spinning head, and suicide!"
Commercial #2
"Remember that morning after a big party when you were so hungover, you yelled out, 'I'd rather die than feel like this!?' Well, not only will that hangover feel like heaven compared to what the new drug "Pain" will put you through, but you'll also die from it as a result! Are you still looking up Dr. Kervorkian's phone number? Well, then "Pain" might be right for you. Otherwise, stay far, far away! I even heard on the Internet it can blow you up! Fact!"
Commercial #3
"Having any joint or muscle pain? If so, you might want to check out the new drug PainErase. PainErase is FDA approved and can erase your pain in a matter of minutes! So if you're experiencing any such pain, call your doctor to see if PainErase is right for you! Side effects may include: Drowsiness, loss of appetite, and feeling awesome."
Commercial #4
"Did you know a doctor somewhere said if you take the new drug 'Pain,' you could transform into a prisoner and spend the rest of your life in jail? It has to be true, for we read it on The Onion. What are the chances of that happening? We don't know, but would you really want to take that chance? To one day take a tablet of 'Pain,' be sent to jail as a man serving a life sentence for murder, be continually pounded in the rump by dirty men, and never get to experience the outside world again? I don't think so."
Commercial #5
"Ever wonder what it was like for Jesus to be crucified with a crown of thorns around his head? About how much pain he was in? Well, if he were here today, he'd say, 'That crucifixion was nothing compared to Pain(Erase)!' So listen to Jesus and don't take 'Pain!' Side effects include: Death and going to hell for not listening to Jesus."
::researcher turns off the video and turns the lights back on::
Sigmund Fraud: "So, if I may have a show of hands, how many of you are interested in finding out more about PainErase and perhaps giving it a try?"
::pause::
Fraud: "None of you? Alright. Now, how many of you think you'll never purchase PainErase?"
::pause::
Fraud: "Wow, so 9 out of 10 of you... I have to ask - you in the back - why didn't you raise your hand for either of the two questions?"
Cheech Bong: "I don't know, man. I kind of started daydreaming right at the beginning when I heard the word 'drug,' you know? So, yeah, I'm just not sure, dude."
Fraud: "I'm so glad I asked. Thank you for your input. Now, if we can go around the room to the other nine of you, could you all please tell me why you answered my questions the way you did? We'll start over here on the left..."
Leslie Bein: "Those commercials kind of freaked me out! I mean, yeah!"
Fraud: "Thanks. Now we'll move over to you on her right and continue to move in that direction..."
Jeffrey Winnebago: "I agree with the chick next to me. Pain erase? More like pain...eh... not erase, right?"
Sharon Sharondofferson: "I totally have the utmost respect for Jesus, but if a drug is going to make me feel more pain than him, I'm totally not going to take that. That's not to say I don't love Jesus. I really do. I..."
Fraud: "That's enough. Thanks so much for your insights. Let's move on to the guy on your right..."
Troy Trojan: "My doctor told me I probably shouldn't take any drugs which could leave me more prone to wanting to kill myself than I already am, especially if I'm watching the Golf Channel - which I always do! So, no, I don't think he'd approve of me taking this at all."
Marcia Dramatic: "I don't wanna die! I don't wanna die! I don't wanna die! I..."
Fraud: "Okay, next, please..."
Franklin Johnson: "Whoa, chill out, lady. I guess she's right, though. I don't wanna die either, especially not from some sh*t called PainErase."
Johanna Banana: "I don't believe in drugs. I'm above all that - even Pepto."
Horatio Cyclops: "I used to do a lot of drugs, but have been clean for four days and intend to keep it that way, gracias very much."
Sarah Pain: "Heck, my last name is Pain and I won't even try that stuff. It's just not worth it. I've worked too hard to get to where I am. I'm not about to take a pill, turn into a prisoner, and spend the rest of my days in a pound-me-in-the-butt jail. No thanks. I got enough of that to get me through college."
Fraud: "Fascinating. Well, I thank you all for joining me today and being a part of this study. By the way, the only accurate commercial of the five was the middle one which showed it in a positive light. Good day."
Cruz and company love to talk about poll numbers surrounding Obamacare. Why wouldn't they? The Republican Party spent how much money on negative ads surrounding the healthcare reform bill? They spent how much time during election season talking about how they'd repeal the bill if elected to office? They've spent how much in taxpayer dollars trying to repeal it? Meanwhile, President Obama and the Democratic Party didn't even come close to matching the GOP in ads regarding the bill or in spreading word about it in other ways. So, yes, if one were to look at things from a black-and-white perspective, a majority of Americans don't approve of the new healthcare law. However, if we look at thing more in-depthly, the public seems to support it much more than they realize. When the public has been asked about separate components of the bill, almost every single one has received strong support - all except for the individual mandate. Given all this, I think it's pretty foolish to think these poll numbers Senator Cruz and others allude to can truly showcase just how much Americans will or won't approve of Obamacare once the law is fully implemented and they experience it first-hand. When one party seems to spend every breath and dollar trying to frighten the public about a coming law and the other party doesn't spend much time or money to counter the claims made by the first party, no matter how egregious the claims might be, the public will be more prone to believing party A over party B.
To illustrate just how ridiculous Cruz and company's claims are based on what's transpired to this point, here's a short story on the matter:
Setting: A focus group in a classroom
Researcher Sigmund Fraud: "Welcome. What I'm about to show you is a series of commercials all regarding the same drug. Once the commercials have ended, I would like for us to discuss what you think and how you feel about them. Here we go..."
Commercial #1
"Have you ever taken a pill you thought might kill you? Whether you have or not, that's exactly what could happen if you take the new drug PainErase! Sure, it sounds harmless, but did you know the name PainErase comes from a guy by the name of Mr. Pain? From this point forward, we'll just refer to the drug as Pain, because that's exactly what it is! With "Pain," you will experience pain and discomfort you've never felt before! Don't wanna die today? Then don't take the drug "Pain!" Side effects include: Blindness, fiery genitals, a broken neck via a spinning head, and suicide!"
Commercial #2
"Remember that morning after a big party when you were so hungover, you yelled out, 'I'd rather die than feel like this!?' Well, not only will that hangover feel like heaven compared to what the new drug "Pain" will put you through, but you'll also die from it as a result! Are you still looking up Dr. Kervorkian's phone number? Well, then "Pain" might be right for you. Otherwise, stay far, far away! I even heard on the Internet it can blow you up! Fact!"
Commercial #3
"Having any joint or muscle pain? If so, you might want to check out the new drug PainErase. PainErase is FDA approved and can erase your pain in a matter of minutes! So if you're experiencing any such pain, call your doctor to see if PainErase is right for you! Side effects may include: Drowsiness, loss of appetite, and feeling awesome."
Commercial #4
"Did you know a doctor somewhere said if you take the new drug 'Pain,' you could transform into a prisoner and spend the rest of your life in jail? It has to be true, for we read it on The Onion. What are the chances of that happening? We don't know, but would you really want to take that chance? To one day take a tablet of 'Pain,' be sent to jail as a man serving a life sentence for murder, be continually pounded in the rump by dirty men, and never get to experience the outside world again? I don't think so."
Commercial #5
"Ever wonder what it was like for Jesus to be crucified with a crown of thorns around his head? About how much pain he was in? Well, if he were here today, he'd say, 'That crucifixion was nothing compared to Pain(Erase)!' So listen to Jesus and don't take 'Pain!' Side effects include: Death and going to hell for not listening to Jesus."
::researcher turns off the video and turns the lights back on::
Sigmund Fraud: "So, if I may have a show of hands, how many of you are interested in finding out more about PainErase and perhaps giving it a try?"
::pause::
Fraud: "None of you? Alright. Now, how many of you think you'll never purchase PainErase?"
::pause::
Fraud: "Wow, so 9 out of 10 of you... I have to ask - you in the back - why didn't you raise your hand for either of the two questions?"
Cheech Bong: "I don't know, man. I kind of started daydreaming right at the beginning when I heard the word 'drug,' you know? So, yeah, I'm just not sure, dude."
Fraud: "I'm so glad I asked. Thank you for your input. Now, if we can go around the room to the other nine of you, could you all please tell me why you answered my questions the way you did? We'll start over here on the left..."
Leslie Bein: "Those commercials kind of freaked me out! I mean, yeah!"
Fraud: "Thanks. Now we'll move over to you on her right and continue to move in that direction..."
Jeffrey Winnebago: "I agree with the chick next to me. Pain erase? More like pain...eh... not erase, right?"
Sharon Sharondofferson: "I totally have the utmost respect for Jesus, but if a drug is going to make me feel more pain than him, I'm totally not going to take that. That's not to say I don't love Jesus. I really do. I..."
Fraud: "That's enough. Thanks so much for your insights. Let's move on to the guy on your right..."
Troy Trojan: "My doctor told me I probably shouldn't take any drugs which could leave me more prone to wanting to kill myself than I already am, especially if I'm watching the Golf Channel - which I always do! So, no, I don't think he'd approve of me taking this at all."
Marcia Dramatic: "I don't wanna die! I don't wanna die! I don't wanna die! I..."
Fraud: "Okay, next, please..."
Franklin Johnson: "Whoa, chill out, lady. I guess she's right, though. I don't wanna die either, especially not from some sh*t called PainErase."
Johanna Banana: "I don't believe in drugs. I'm above all that - even Pepto."
Horatio Cyclops: "I used to do a lot of drugs, but have been clean for four days and intend to keep it that way, gracias very much."
Sarah Pain: "Heck, my last name is Pain and I won't even try that stuff. It's just not worth it. I've worked too hard to get to where I am. I'm not about to take a pill, turn into a prisoner, and spend the rest of my days in a pound-me-in-the-butt jail. No thanks. I got enough of that to get me through college."
Fraud: "Fascinating. Well, I thank you all for joining me today and being a part of this study. By the way, the only accurate commercial of the five was the middle one which showed it in a positive light. Good day."
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