President Obama has experienced significant nationwide criticism--reflected by a 9% drop in his national approval rating--mainly pertaining to the recent steps taken in implementing his administration's healthcare plan, the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. But is America's discontent with our Commander-in-Chief misplaced? I certainly think so. According to Fox News' article, "How Low Can It Go? ObamaCare Poll Numbers Drop -- Again," much of the public's main misgiving about Obamacare is its recent website malfunctions. I find that there are many other components of the Act that the American people could take issue with than its initial aesthetic problems.
It seems that yet again America's citizens are misinformed by the mass media. Outlets of all political preferences have been reporting on HealthCare.gov's malfunction, but what of Obamacare's effects on doctor's pay, taxation, and overall function within the government? Since mainstream media became widespread and readily available to virtually everyone, it appears that it has essentially determined the public's political opinions by only providing the most basic elements of issues. This is clearly a problem, but I personally see no legitimate alternative to remedy this epidemic of ignorance.
News, Fox. "How Low Can It Go? ObamaCare Poll Numbers Drop -- Again." Fox News. FOX News Network, 20 Nov. 2013. Web. 20 Nov. 2013.
I share a lot of the same feelings. It's almost as if the public just looks for the most superficial information as a means of not having to put much thought or effort into formulating their own thoughts and opinions. I feel like on issues like this the focus should be more on how to perfect and refine obamacare instead of just a dumb web site malfunction.
ReplyDeleteI agree Cullen. This whole law is an unmitigated failure and people need to look at the hole picture. One of the biggest problems I have with the law is the employer mandate. This says that anyone whose business has over 50 employees has to have Obamacare or pay a stiff penalty. This is hurting small business's, which are backbone of our economy. As a result of this mandate, many companies are choosing to cut back workers hours or fire workers altogethers, in order to avoid the penalty.Thankfully, that part of the law was delayed. That's not enough though it needs to be abolished. However, I think the website is also very important to discuss. It is a major component of the law.
ReplyDeleteOne of the ways that I think President Obama could save some of his diminished credibility and trustworthiness is by firing Kathleen Sebelius, she is the Secretary of Health and Human Services and in charge of the rollout of Obamacare and its website. This will not fix the atrocity of the entire healthcare situation, but it would be a good starting point.
It is certainly true that the media tends to prefer visibility over subtlety. As a result, most of the coverage of the ACA has focused on the public's direct interaction with the law so far, which mainly consists of the website and changes to their plans that the law will bring. It will be interesting to see how perceptions change as people get a fuller experience of the law.
ReplyDelete