American Civilization

When Bill Clinton first ran for president, the mantra of his  campaign was « It’s the economy, stupid. »Â  It almost seems to me that the mantra of this first Obama administration will be defined by its pursuit of health care.  That’s not to say that there are not many other very important issues  – from Afghanistan to the economy – but whether or not Obama is successful in his efforts to provide health care reform I think will matter the most.

I was reminded recently that many past presidents have tried to reform health care.  The list includes Harry Truman, Lyndon Johnson, Jimmy Carter, and Bill Clinton.  None of them were successful in their endeavors.  And, the Obama administration is close to making it happen.

Sure, there are many contentious details in the debate.  Should a public option be included?  Should coverage allow for a woman’s abortion?  And, while these details are important, if Obama’s leadership is successful at some health care reform, that is the beginning of a very important process.  According to Newsweek writer Jacob Weisberg, « If Obama accomplishes nothing else, he may be judged the most consequentila domestic president since LBJ. »

Given the access to health care in France, I’m not sure any of you can understand how stressful this issue is to many Americans.  As an educator, I’ve been very fortunate to have access to health care.  But, many people I know don’t have that option.  And, right now, my school district is in the process of cutting back on health care provisions for many of my current and former colleagues. I can only hope that Obama is successful in his reform efforts for their sakes.