We already have several threads about health care reform, and many more threads about President Obama. So as to create a concentrated and focused discussion of tonight's speech, I thought it worthwhile to have a thread devoted to it.

It is rather historic for this speech to a joint session of congress to be happening, in that Presidents don't often do this. You see them with the State of the Union address (& new to office variation of the SotU). But the last one of these to occur outside of a State of the Union type address to my knowledge was President Bush in responding to 9/11.

If this works, it should have a countdown timer to the speech, and then play it live right here online in about an hour. Enjoy.

9/9/2009 7:02:43 PM

I believe both GW Bush and Clinton each gave 2 joint session addresses. so... it's noteworthy, but not unprecedented.

and we're certainly in a crisis. it's not like hes having everyone together for tea and biscuits.

9/9/2009 7:14:50 PM

if there's one thing he is good at, it's campaigning. And that's about all he's done since taking office.

9/9/2009 7:15:40 PM

yeah, that's one of the jobs of the Chief Executive.

you might have forgotten that from the past 8 years of the Brush-Clearer-in-Chief.

9/9/2009 7:16:49 PM

This is going to be one epic sales pitch, sink or swim.

9/9/2009 7:21:07 PM

Quote :

"and we're certainly in a crisis. it's not like hes having everyone together for tea and biscuits."

What is this crisis you speak of?

9/9/2009 7:33:27 PM

I wasn't aware that the job of the Pres was to keep telling people how great he is. wow

9/9/2009 7:33:49 PM

Quote :

"I believe both GW Bush and Clinton each gave 2 joint session addresses. so... it's noteworthy, but not unprecedented."

Bush I believe did 1 that was about 9/11, and 1 that was the replacement state of the union for the first time like most presidents do since they haven't been office for a year at that point so its not a real state of the union, but still basically the same thing.

9/9/2009 8:00:39 PM

get this shit off my tv

9/9/2009 8:03:39 PM

Sorry, this video is currently unavailable. We apologize for any inconvenience.

9/9/2009 8:03:48 PM

the pomp and circumstance for and from these people, who see and often meet each other every day, is ridiculous.....

9/9/2009 8:16:25 PM

you can watch it live here too: http://www.whitehouse.gov/

sorry Hulu doesn't seem to be working

I am not the first president to take up this cause, but I am determined to be the last.

9/9/2009 8:18:32 PM

i fucking hate the constant standing ovations. let him say his speech.

9/9/2009 8:19:07 PM

'Pubs a bit slow to stand up there......

9/9/2009 8:23:02 PM

So the government run video streaming service is working… but the privately owned video streaming service has failed?

9/9/2009 8:24:36 PM

First time for everything, right?

9/9/2009 8:26:04 PM

Describing paying for others emergency room care as a tax on us all is a decent framing attempt to help get more of the right on board.

9/9/2009 8:26:09 PM

I can prolly sum it up...


1) We gotta do this, or else!
2) Competition through the gubment!
3) HANDOUTS!!!

9/9/2009 8:26:18 PM

did hillary and pelosi chat beforehand to coordinate their outfits?

9/9/2009 8:26:28 PM

^^^ haha, nice framing, for sure. WHy don't we just eliminate the requirement that hospitals treat people who can't or won't pay. That'd fix that...

gotta love those libs, though

[Edited on September 9, 2009 at 8:27 PM. Reason : ]

9/9/2009 8:26:58 PM

Quote :

"WHy don't we just eliminate the requirement that hospitals treat people who can't or won't pay. That'd fix that..."

you guys are heartless SOBs.

9/9/2009 8:29:19 PM

i know. next we should require Best Buy to give anyone a TV, no matter if they can pay for it or not. Ford will have to give people cars, whether they pay for it or not.

9/9/2009 8:30:11 PM

yes, life saving health procedures are just the same as a big-screen TV.
yep. just the same.

9/9/2009 8:31:09 PM

jesus stop standing up.

i'd like to hear a plan here.

9/9/2009 8:31:14 PM

He really is good at telling us how good he is.

I'm afraid that people eat that shit up too.

9/9/2009 8:32:21 PM

what are you talking about.....

9/9/2009 8:32:50 PM

Quote :

"First time for everything, right?"

One of my courses requires doing a cost-benefit analysis of a service or program provided by a local government. My project is wifi internet access where the gov scattered access points throughout downtown buildings they already own, at restaurants that pay for the power for the routers in return for free internet in around their building, with a lot of monitoring & maintenance provided by grad student volunteers from a nearby university. The preliminary results are that the gov can provide this service at $1 per every $25 it would cost the private sector to provide the same service. I won't go into any more detail here so as not to side track the thread, but the project has been reviewed by a professor with a PhD in economics so hopefully the numbers aren't too far off track.

9/9/2009 8:33:09 PM

Quote :

"yes, life saving health procedures are just the same as a big-screen TV. yep. just the same."

and people should think about that before they drop all that money on a car intead of buying insurance

9/9/2009 8:34:40 PM

Senator McCain just stood to clap & gave President Obama a thumbs up.

Also, small business exemptions to some requirements has to be something the 'pubs like.

[Edited on September 9, 2009 at 8:36 PM. Reason : .]

9/9/2009 8:34:41 PM

^^ keeping insurance is like buying a used car every year

9/9/2009 8:37:23 PM

republicans not defending the "death panels" rebuttal.
keep it classy guys

9/9/2009 8:38:08 PM

Who just yelled out like that?

Also, "markets do better when there is choice & competition" got the dems & reps to stand.

Saying pro-insurance industry stuff, but following it up with quoting someone about needing not to be driven by a "wall street like drive for profit" (may have gotten that quote a little wrong), was another example of framing that worked in a way that got all the reps to stand... I mean who can't rally against wall street?

9/9/2009 8:38:29 PM

don't know, but Nancy Pelosi was giving him the evil eye

oh wait, that's what she always looks like

9/9/2009 8:39:16 PM

i've heard that there are limitations on insurance companies operating from state to state (ie why there's a BCBS of NC, VA, etc...)

so with this public exchange thing, i wonder if that eats at eliminating some of those restrictions

9/9/2009 8:42:51 PM

Comparing the public option to the choice between public and private universities. I made that argument to my brother the other day.

9/9/2009 8:43:51 PM

i wonder what all of those guys are waving around....

9/9/2009 8:44:58 PM

yeah, Lindsay Graham was about to clap for that, then he noticed that McCain and others weren't, so he backed off.

9/9/2009 8:45:00 PM

classy, republicans

real classy

9/9/2009 8:46:05 PM

^^^^Well NCSU & UNC's proximity to Duke certainly haven't put them out of business.

9/9/2009 8:46:18 PM

yes, that's the point....

9/9/2009 8:47:05 PM

And not even one speech without mentioning how much the last administration spent . . . despite the fact that his budget has dwarfed the last.


. . .


And I like how people gave a standing ovation when he said that this bill would not add a penny to the deficit, but got only lukewarm applause when he said spending cuts would be required to balance the budget.


Also, "Medicare is a sacred trust and must be passed down from one generation to the next." This is why people oppose the health care bill, once a law . . . especially a handout is passed, it won't be going away.

9/9/2009 8:49:32 PM

I just love watching the republicans faces the whole time. Its hilarious.

9/9/2009 8:50:22 PM

He's now positioning himself as the defender of medicare.

Ignoring the accuracy of what he's saying for the moment, he is doing an excellent job of framing the argument in a way to build support from the right & from seniors so far.

Oh man, the malpractice reform part he just mentioned got the right cheering in addition to clapping.

9/9/2009 8:52:31 PM

$900B over 10 years. Jesus. Since these numbers are always low, you're looking at in excess of $1T

9/9/2009 8:54:24 PM

let's be honest, there is NO way he's going to go after the trial lawyers

9/9/2009 8:54:44 PM

I know this speech isn't even for me, but man, he's doing a great job. He's totally going to trick all the idiots out there into thinking this a great idea!

9/9/2009 8:55:41 PM

Hey guys......question....a bit ago he said something about 'by our calculations, only 5% of the country would sign on for a public option'......... So here's my question, assuming that 15% is the current number of uninsured people, then is he saying that we're going through this because 1/3 of the uninsured people in this country actually WANT to be insured?

9/9/2009 8:55:54 PM

He just said something to the effect of "I will not make time for those who have made a political calculation that it is better to kill this bill than to improve it"


Wooo, my 13000th post!

9/9/2009 8:56:15 PM

here comes the sympathy angle

9/9/2009 8:56:19 PM

everyone knew that was coming

9/9/2009 8:56:42 PM