The Sell That Isn't Selling (Updated)

My lefty friends get upset when I poke fun at Obama, so in this instance I will say that feel sorry for him.

That isn't backhanded pity, either. This clip sums up what I was saying yesterday:



The man is not used to being told, "No." Now that there are people raising Cain over his health care plans, he has to go out and explain why it's a good thing for his countrymen. And he can't do it. I honestly think that he started this mess by merely thinking, "Everyone should have health care." It sounded like a neat idea, nothing to it. Now he seems shocked to discover that he simply can't sign on the line and make it so. (By the way, don't forget this key point: his party owns both houses of Congress and have enough votes to pass any bill he wants. Republicans and angry town hallers aren't holding back his health care plans; his own party is. That's a pretty big deal for a president who was the major league darling of his party only 6 months ago).

He's not confident anymore. He stammers. He hesitates. But more than that, he chooses extremely poor words: "I think private insurers should be able to compete. They do it all the time. I mean. If you think about it, UPS and FedEx are doing just fine. It’s the Post Office that’s always having problems.”

Good grief. You do not, as a rule, pick a failing government institution as an example of why a new government institution should be set up. He's treading water and sinking.

Using the Post Office is a lousy choice. 1) UPS and FedEx aren't allowed to compete with non-overnight delivery of letters. By government order, they have to stay in the parcel and overnight game. Which leads to the question: if FedEx and UPS compete with the Post Office - as Mr. Obama says private insurers will compete with government health care - and are already tops, then just imagine how much UPS and FedEx would kick the post office's butt if they played on an equal footing. 2) "I think private insurers should be able to compete. They do it all the time." Okay. Sounds like things are pretty good. Then why is government opening up its own health care shop?

He can't answer those points because he didn't think the example through. During the off-the-cuff moment, he hesitated and floundered until plucking "Post Office" from thin air. Then he booted it.

This is not the Barack Obama that was advertised last year. I'm still waiting for the great orator to arrive. It's a long wait.

Update: The hits keep coming. The dude can't be endearing himself to doctors with this stuff.