Cold Fusion – ObamaCare v Thanksgiving Edition

Americans all across this great land are carrying out their holiday travel to gather with their families for the sole purpose of giving thanks. With food.

While not a holy day holiday, American Thanksgiving has become (sorry Andy Williams) our Most Wonderful Time of the Year.

Why? It’s easy. Check out this horrific list of To Dos – 1) Show Up 2) Dress comfortably but not too casually 3) Eat 4) Nap (yes this holiday comes with a built-in nap for crying out loud) and then 5) Eat some more. For three days. Oh, and give thanks.

**Legislative Idea – More four-day weekends. Okay, just one more.

We gather with family and commence. Eating and drinking. Drinking and eating. We hug cousins, aunts, uncles, and friends in tow. The game is on. Annual joke about the Detroit Lions, Tony Romo, and then…He/She Appears.

That one person whose name tag on the table you hope is not next to yours.

That one person in your crew that just HAS to bring up politics. Oh good, you wore your tricorn hat and/or Atheist Vegans for Warren ’16 blinking button.

(I can say this because I was That Guy (sans hat)- until I got elected. While in office, Thanksgiving was a life-preserver from politics.)

Throw in a little wine…

Boom.

He/She brings up ObamaCare.

Quietly, the kids are whisked away from the card table annex.

Family elder statesmen wisely repair to their caves with well-timed, if not profane, hand gestures.

The cooks and cleaners start clearing the dishes in this order – 1) sharp knives 2) glass 3) bottles.

“And just where are you taking the wine? Put that down!”

It’s on. Ding! Ding!

Thanksgiving goes from simply showing up to eat and giving thanks to the annual It’s Your Party’s Fault Review of Undeniable Facts versus…Denial.

In football, defense wins championships. In baseball, defense AND pitching wins championships. In politics, defense is losing.

Democratic family members, if they are still at the table, will weakly defend the reality of ObamaCare.

Back and forth. To and Fro. Wax on. Wax off.

And it will sink in. Deeply.

Lost in the melee will be, of course, ANY mention that the Democrats have had a near singular policy initiative for over the last twenty years of free health care. For everyone. THE telegraphed political pass of all time.

Democrats for TWENTY years have said this We. Are. Going. To. Give. You. Free. Health. Care. Vote. Here.

Over that same TWENTY years, while Americans increasingly camp out to PAY for more unused stuff the day after Thanksgiving, Republicans have brilliantly offered…ththththphphtphtphphtphpthpthpth PUH and health savings accounts.

The now moderate Democrat in the family (give some slack here) will say “I hear the website is getting fixed…and you know, I’m a fiscal conservative…”

Nope. It ain’t the website and please…

The problem – once again – with this Administration is basic – do NOT oversell and under deliver. They basically sold the country on this – free health care and for those of you who are paying – PAYING – for your health care, nothing changes. Yes, Senator Hope and Change sold America on not changing our health care plans, doctors, and hospitals. Vote. Here.

What happened then? What’s the big political lesson heading into Thanksgiving Travel Days 2013?

Americans really don’t like change. Life changes enough around them all the time. Constantly. Constant change. Change, like irony, is exhausting.

We like tradition and stability. Security. We LOVE security.

We cherish the known and we travel hundreds if not thousands of miles just to see the people we love in order to eat almost the EXACT same thing every year for the sole purpose of being thankful and happy. Together. Again.

Heck, my kids have grown up with Thanksgiving meals eating, or least being served, recipes for the sole purpose of remembering their relatives who were born in the mid to late 19th century! God forbid we have a Thanksgiving meal without the creamed pearl onions! Why? Because my great-grandfather loved them and we loved him.

We tell the same stories about the same people and laugh/cry like we do every year. It connects us.

We matter. We belong. Deeply.

Just for four days out of 365.

And at the end of this meal, no one brings around the check.

Everyone pitches in. Does their part. We share. We forgive and forget. Sure, life’s too short. Love you. Love you, too.

This year, people are scared. Really scared about things that matter – their health and their financial security.

Will they have insurance? Their own doctor? What do you mean St. Mary’s Hospital isn’t going to take patients from the exchanges next year? You know someone who lost their insurance? OH! YOU lost your insurance?

Hopefully over the holidays enough Democrats will hear from the card table annex, “You know, maybe you could just try again. Start over. It’s easy.”

And smart.

Cross posted at Chris Saxman.com