Public Option, Or No Public Option. That is the Question.

The first thing I'd like to mention about the president's speech is this:  when the president addresses Congress, the Speaker and the Vice President are staring at the back of his head.  For the sake of the camera, they really never look down or away.  But they are sitting directly behind him.  They are the worst seats in the House.  Literally.  I'm always amazed that they can maintain an air of interest when they are really just staring at the back of his ears.

But I digress.  

Yes, our president is probably one of the best speakers, if not the best speaker, any of us will hear in our lifetimes.  He has a gift.  It is undeniable.  And I was transfixed watching him last night.  Whenever he speaks I want to live in the world he's creating.  That's how he won.  

Roughly eight months into his term, I wonder if he can get us there.  I have been deeply disappointed in him with regards to his dealings with the gay community.  And I was deeply disappointed that he allowed the health care debate to be dictated by people carrying "Get Your Guv'mint Hands Off My Medicare" signs.  Thankfully he showed up last night with an incredible speech.  I hope his speech was enough to stanch the bleeding.  I hope his arrival on the scene wasn't too late.

The most interesting aspect of last night's speech was just how brilliantly he played both sides of the fence with regards to the politically dreaded public option.  He spoke of how it is necessary in order to promote competition.  How it is incredibly important in order to bring costs down and change some of the policies that have been holding the American public hostage for generations.  

He also spoke of how it is just one item on a laundry list of reforms, which had the effect of making the public option less important.  

This way, his political gamble is lessened.  This way, no matter what happens to the public option, he can claim himself a winner in heath care reform, which will be necessary when he runs for re-election.

What he left out was this: he failed to mention where the public option stands on the list of reform priorities.  There are many people who think that it is number one, myself included.  It is the only way to give the other reforms teeth.  Otherwise, this will simply have been a summer when we got to see how easily people can come unhinged when plied with questionable facts and a heavy dose of fear.  But we will wind up with a health care system not dramatically altered from the one we have right now.

I also found the end of his speech interesting: 

I understand that the politically safe move would be to kick the can further down the road - to defer reform one more year, or one more election, or one more term.

But that's not what the moment calls for. That's not what we came here to do.  We did not come to fear the future. We came here to shape it. I still believe we can act even when it's hard. I still believe we can replace acrimony with civility, and gridlock with progress. I still believe we can do great things, and that here and now we will meet history's test.

Because that is who we are. That is our calling. That is our character.

I know that he was talking about health care reform, but I heard it in terms of the LGBT fight for civil equality, an area where he has frequently "defer[red] reform."  Indeed, the fearless leadership that he refers to here is what has been so remarkably frustrating about his presidency.  He has made great speeches, but in practice he has been timid.  At best.   I would like to send this part of the speech back to him and tell him that indeed it is time.  Indeed it is not appropriate to "kick the can further down the road."  I want to call him and say, "You 'can act even when it's hard.'"  I want to tell him to take the lead, to no longer grant the misinformed and fearful the power to shape the debate, much like he did last night.  I want to tell him that it is time.  It is time for us to be given our full rights in all civil matters under the law and it is time for him to "meet history's test" by doing everything in his power to ensure that that happens.  

More tomorrow.