Presidential Debate

I'd like to preface this entry by saying this page is still somewhat under construction. Those of you who know me know that I can agonize for hours over something as simple as a font selection. So when it comes to the design of a web page that will be the signature representation of my personality, politics, and priorities, just understand that it may very well be years before I consider it acceptable. In the meantime, I hope you can appreciate the truth of my blog's title as it applies to my perfectionism!



Well, what better current event to serve as a launch pad than the presidential debate? Tonight was the second installment. In the first 45 minutes or so, I was plagued by an unprecedented need to discard all of my early journalism training and simply hear yes and no questions get asked. The open-ended questions from the audience, which are typically any inquisitor's best tool, were pointless and vague to the point of practically inviting the candidates to set their own course. For example, one person asked, "I want to know what you would do within the first two years to make sure that Congress moves fast as far as environmental issues, like climate change and green jobs?" Despite the "two-year" time element that was seemingly intended to pin the candidates down on an immediate answer, this question was nothing more than a prompt for them to discuss their positions on the environment.

Finally, the first concrete question I heard came from a woman who asked, "Selling health care coverage in America as a marketable commodity has become a very profitable industry. Do you believe health care should be treated as a commodity?" In other words, should health insurance be something sold on the open market by companies out to increase profits and which people are responsible for buying for themselves. That was a great question, which Tom Brokaw followed up brilliantly by asking very directly, "Is health care in America a privilege, a right, or a responsibility?" Unfortunately, neither candidate really stated whether they think it even is a commodity, let alone whether it should be one. At least Obama stated that health care is a right that presumably all people are entitled to, rather than the responsibility that McCain seems to think people must provide for themselves.

Of course, McCain covers his true motives with the veil of "choice." He says Americans deserve and are entitled to the "choice" of what health care to provide for themselves. However, this method requires that people be able to wade through what will inevitably be a dense and complex maze of plans and policies. For example, he said, "Of course it's OK to go across state lines (to find health care) because in Arizona they may offer a better plan that suits you best than it does here in Tennessee."

What I glean from that is not only am I going to have to know what's available in my own state but in 49 other states as well -- and then review and evaluate all those plans to find the one that best suits my needs. Gee, let me pencil in some time during my son's nap to hunt and peck for a health care plan that someone with a medical degree probably couldn't decipher. And while I'm at it, I'll make sound and informed "choices" about where to invest my retirement, learn mortgage and real estate law so that I can "choose" the best loan for my house, earn a B.S. in nutritional science so that I can make educated "choices" about the food that companies put on store shelves, and visit the 50 schools in Mahoning County to determine the one that will best serve my families unique and individual needs. Oh, and don't forget to go to work, make dinner and do the laundry.

I'm not suggesting people not be responsible for choices in their own lives, but ideally, organizations and government programs such as the FDA, FHA, Social Security, and dozens of others like them were designed to help people make decisions about subjects that require levels of expertise that the average person cannot be expected to possess about every life choice. Just think about the amount of time you spent evaluating what cell phone plan to go with, and then think about what it would take to make equally informed decisions about something as vital as health care, the stock market, energy, and yes, even nutrition. At some point, you have to be able to trust someone who knows more than you about that subject.

Amid the demands of everyday life, McCain's focus on individual "choice" is an expectation that is too high. Granted, it is classic Republican philosophy: rugged individualism and virtually nonexistent government. But that system only works for those who are experts in the given areas. We need a system that works in the best interest of those who don't have the time, education, or resources, to do it all. Gee, isn't that what a government "for the people" is supposed to do!