El Presidente Obama nuevamente demuestra sus condiciones de liderazgo y apuesta su capital político para aprobar la reforma al sistema de Salud, una promesa central de la campaña electoral.
Tal como habiamos comentado antes, apareció en Enero enfocado en el tema del empleo y en la búsqueda consensos en torno a una reforma tan polarizante. Mostró su caso al país, poniendo en evidencia que los Republicanos no tenian alternativa que proponer y echando por tierra los ataques que señalaban la reforma como "exgeradamente socializante y deficitaria". Tejió los apoyos políticos necesarios para demostrarle a su partido que peor que aprobarla era no hacerlo, y su con mayoria parlamentaria pavimento el camino del procedimiento de "reconciliación legislativa" frustrando las posibilidades de "filibuster" republicano. Un detalle nuevamente resaltante del "Estilo Obama" fue involucar al ciudadano por medios alternativos de opinión y participación, ganando la batalla de opinión con la aprobacion de la reforma.
Con este logro, Obama galvaniza su base de apoyo, reactiva los movimentos sociales que determinaron su triunfo electoral, y pone en marcha una reforma cuyo costo político queda descontado. En la víspera de una sostenida reactivación económica debe ceder el desempleo que constituye la prioridad para retomar una clara situación en el liderazgo político nacional de cara a las elecciones parlamentarias. La encuesta Gallup post-reforma demuestra que el 49% de los americanos ve la misma como un "evento positivo" mientras solo el 40% como un evento negativo (Para mas detalles: Support Healthcare Bill's Passage). No obstante, el Presidente, en demostracion de su "nueva forma de hacer poltica" anuncia que aprobada la refomra recorrera el pais para explicarla a todos los ciudadnos, nuevamente utilizando las nuevas herramientas de comunicacion poltica y los grupos de base organizados con estas. En un email enviado a s base de seguidores se delinea el sencillo y convincente discurso que llevara a lo largo de esta gira, con la que busca incrementar el apoyo a la reforma del sector independientes que todavia no se han formado una opinion. El email dice:
"Friend --
I'm writing to you on a great day for America.
This morning, I gathered with members of Congress, my administration, and hardworking volunteers from every part of the country to sign comprehensive health care reform into law. Thanks to the immeasurable efforts of so many, the dream of reform is now a reality.
The bill I just signed puts Americans in charge of our own health care by enacting three key changes:
It establishes the toughest patient protections in history.
It guarantees all Americans affordable health insurance options, extending coverage to 32 million who are currently uninsured.
And it reduces the cost of care -- cutting over 1 trillion dollars from the federal deficit over the next two decades.
To ensure a successful, stable transition, many of these changes will phase into full effect over the next several years.
But for millions of Americans, many of the benefits of reform will begin this year -- some even taking effect this afternoon. Here are just a few examples:
Small businesses will receive significant tax cuts, this year, to help them afford health coverage for all their employees.
Seniors will receive a rebate to reduce drug costs not yet covered under Medicare.
Young people will be allowed coverage under their parents' plan until the age of 26.
Early retirees will receive help to reduce premium costs.
Children will be protected against discrimination on the basis of medical history.
Uninsured Americans with pre-existing conditions can join a special high-risk pool to get the coverage they need, starting in just 90 days.
Insured Americans will be protected from seeing their insurance revoked when they get sick, or facing restrictive annual limits on the care they receive.
All Americans will benefit from significant new investments to train primary care doctors, nurses, and public health professionals, and the creation of state-level consumer assistance programs to help all patients understand and defend our new rights.
As I've said many times, and as I know to be true, this astounding victory could not have been achieved without your tireless efforts.
So as we celebrate this great day, I want to invite you to add your name where it belongs: alongside mine as a co-signer of this historic legislation. Organizing for America will record the names of co-signers as a permanent commemoration of those who came together to make this moment possible -- all of you who refused to give up until the dream of many generations for affordable, quality care for all Americans was finally fulfilled.
So, if you haven't yet, please add your name as a proud health care reform co-signer today:
http://my.barackobama.com/cosigner
Please accept my thanks for your voice, for your courage, and for your indispensable partnership in the great work of creating change.
History, and I, are in your debt.
President Barack Obama"
I'm writing to you on a great day for America.
This morning, I gathered with members of Congress, my administration, and hardworking volunteers from every part of the country to sign comprehensive health care reform into law. Thanks to the immeasurable efforts of so many, the dream of reform is now a reality.
The bill I just signed puts Americans in charge of our own health care by enacting three key changes:
It establishes the toughest patient protections in history.
It guarantees all Americans affordable health insurance options, extending coverage to 32 million who are currently uninsured.
And it reduces the cost of care -- cutting over 1 trillion dollars from the federal deficit over the next two decades.
To ensure a successful, stable transition, many of these changes will phase into full effect over the next several years.
But for millions of Americans, many of the benefits of reform will begin this year -- some even taking effect this afternoon. Here are just a few examples:
Small businesses will receive significant tax cuts, this year, to help them afford health coverage for all their employees.
Seniors will receive a rebate to reduce drug costs not yet covered under Medicare.
Young people will be allowed coverage under their parents' plan until the age of 26.
Early retirees will receive help to reduce premium costs.
Children will be protected against discrimination on the basis of medical history.
Uninsured Americans with pre-existing conditions can join a special high-risk pool to get the coverage they need, starting in just 90 days.
Insured Americans will be protected from seeing their insurance revoked when they get sick, or facing restrictive annual limits on the care they receive.
All Americans will benefit from significant new investments to train primary care doctors, nurses, and public health professionals, and the creation of state-level consumer assistance programs to help all patients understand and defend our new rights.
As I've said many times, and as I know to be true, this astounding victory could not have been achieved without your tireless efforts.
So as we celebrate this great day, I want to invite you to add your name where it belongs: alongside mine as a co-signer of this historic legislation. Organizing for America will record the names of co-signers as a permanent commemoration of those who came together to make this moment possible -- all of you who refused to give up until the dream of many generations for affordable, quality care for all Americans was finally fulfilled.
So, if you haven't yet, please add your name as a proud health care reform co-signer today:
http://my.barackobama.com/cosigner
Please accept my thanks for your voice, for your courage, and for your indispensable partnership in the great work of creating change.
History, and I, are in your debt.
President Barack Obama"
Habría que agregar como dato, luego de la lectura de este email, que la economía crecerá por el impacto positivo que la reforma tiene para la industria farmacéutica, los servicios medico-hospitalarios y la procuración de equipos médicos.
La estrategia republicana de "la política del miedo" y la negativa sin proponer alternativas no ha funcionado esta vez. Los republicanos deben girar al centro, en lugar de a la derecha como lo hicieron a raíz del resultado electoral de Massachusetts; y presentarse al pais con una alternativa, una propuesta, o pagaran el precio de ser estigmatizados como "el partido de NO".
El próximo paso de Obama y los Demócratas, en el plano social, podría ser la reforma inmigratoria, particularmente en la medida que la situación económica mejore. De ser ese el caso, se consolidarían en el espacio de la población hispana, gran nuevo elector y una de las grandes beneficiadas por la reforma, pues entre 5 y 6 millones de latinos que viven legalmente en EUA adquieren cobertura de salud con la reforma.
No obstante, pase lo que pase, y al margen de toda consideración de orden político o electoral, con esta reforma Obama queda en sitio privilegiado de la historia, no solo por ser el primer presidente afro-americano, sino por concretar una de las conquistas sociales de mayor importancia en los EUA; equivalente al "Social Security Act" y las políticas de vivienda de Franklin Delano Roosevelt, la Ley de Derechos Civiles de la era Kennedy y la reforma del Medicare-Medicaid de del gobierno de L.B. Johnson.
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