Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Put your viewpoint aside and work for the Greater Good

There has been a great deal of rhetoric going on this past month. Much of it damaging in some way to the health care reform program. President Obama has made a fixture of himself on TV trying to gain more strength to get the legislature passed. Unfortunately, his constant, urging is starting to turn the people and legislators off. One of the legislators made an analogy that fits, "If you throw a single rock in a pond you get many ripples on the pond, but if you throw many rocks in the pond at the same time, all you get is a bunch of waves." People have time to catch the ripples, but not the waves. Perhaps Obama's strategy of allowing Congress to formulate the bills has backfired.
One of the things I learned early in life was how to control a committee, if you are trying to get something passed. You know you have to allow them to make the decision, so they will support it. So, you structure three alternatives for the solution. By you doing this, you eliminate any other items for consideration. The first alternative sounds good, however it leaves out a major item for the solution. The second alternative sounds good and everything seems to work out, however, with investigation, there is a killing flaw. The third alternative sounds good, everything works out and there is nothing wrong, no major flaw, no killing flaw, and oh, by the way that is the alternative you want them to select. 10 out of 10 times the committee will select alternative three. They made the selection of their own free will and will stand behind it upon scrutiny.
Perhaps, if President Obama had followed this way of politicizing he would not be in the situation he is now, looking at a bill that may not pass!!Then what will happen to his Presidency?
A note aside: It seems like everyone in this debate sees the need for change, but they are not willing to give up their particular position --FOR THE GREATER GOOD. Legislators are not remembering what they are supposed to do--vote for items that are for the betterment of the PEOPLE, not themselves or their lobbyists.