MAY POLITIFACT SHAPE THE DEBATE AS MUCH THIS YEAR AS IT DID THE LAST TWO
I see that our side is (gratifyingly) flooding the zone in response to PolitiFact's preposterous proclamation that "Republicans voted to end Medicare" is not only a lie but the lie of the year. My anger is tempered, however, by a recognition of what happened after PolitiFact made its last two end-of-year declarations:
2010: PolitiFact's Lie of the Year: 'A government takeover of health care'
2009: PolitiFact's Lie of the Year: 'Death panels'
These were Republican lies, but neither of the PolitiFact pronouncements harmed the Republican Party in any way -- in fact, they coincided with the rise of the GOP to complete domination of our political life. And neither pronouncement affected the debate on the issue of health care: it's true that death panels weren't death panels, but they're still effectively dead, and among most people who have a strong opinion (i.e., hardcore Republicans), calling them "death panels" still seems accurate. And the "government takeover of health care" lie remains a millstone around Democrats' necks.
PolitiFact got it very wrong this year. Let's just hope that PolitiFact has as much impact now as it did in 2009 and 2010.
1 comment:
C'mon Steve, you know how this works!
THIS year, it'll be taken as gospel and shoved down the Democrats throats all of the next year in the middle the elections when they try to create some more distance between themselves and Ryan's "Throw Future Grandma's From the Medicare Train" Plan.
And of course, Sen. Wyden hasn't helped matter here recently, the asshole! And to think, I used to like him...
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