by Susan McKay
What happens when a Democratic governor and his spinmeisters use their PR skills & framing techniques to undercut traditional Democratic values? When their manipulations mimic rather than counter robber-baron redux and back-to-the-future Social Darwinism?
So, what happens when a Democratic governor and his spinmeisters use their PR skills to undercut traditional Democratic values? When their manipulations mimic rather than counter robber baron redux and back-to-the-future Social Darwinism?
Alas, if you live in Tennessee, you are served caustic cocktails morning, noon, and night. So, who says you can’t “just say no”?
In a recent post, I gave the best-case scenario numbers of the oh-so-aptly named “Cover Tennessee.” “Shroud Tennessee” is the latest "promise" propped in a hopeful frame to set heads a-bobbin’ in support.
Take, for instance, the Cover Tennessee section of Cover Tennessee (that’s right), which is reinsurance for low-income uninsured workers. The NFIB enthusiastically endorsed it early on and many business leaders followed. It appears strange that biz folks would publicly embrace a scheme without hard details and hard numbers to back it up. Or is it? Not if you begin to understand how it has been packaged.
Employers are given the nod to continue to invest little to nothing for health care benefits for their employees. Meanwhile, employees are being given a wink and a nod that, for next to nothing, they can buy meaningful health insurance. Can both be true? No. Is either true? Not really. But it does not matter because the metaphors for Cover Tennessee activate the pictures most people accept to be good and true, so facts that do not fit these images are virtually ignored. The key metaphors that appeal to conservatives included individual strength through personal responsibility (employee required to pay up to 2/3 of monthly premium) and freedom (no governmental interference, business is not required to offer the program or to pay anything into it if it does). Moderates and liberals “see” offering limited health insurance assistance to low-income uninsured workers as a wise and compassionate use of public money.
Encased in Reaganesque-oxymoronic themes of “pro working man” and “pro boss man,” the scary facts slumber undisturbed. There is no meat or potatoes in the stew and Tennessee will be in a stew with MORE uninsured. Not all bellies will be growling, though. Sans TennCare, large employers like Wal-mart still won’t be required to provide decent health benefits or pay more than poverty wages; and there’s no end in sight for beefed up profits for Bredesen’s health care business colleagues.
The Bredesen administration and preceding gubernatorial campaign 2002, have worked hard to manipulate public opinion to win support for its policies on health care and other issues by activating and alternating between master and supporting frames that appeal sometimes to conservatives, sometimes to liberals, and sometimes to both. It continues to pay off—for the governor. The sad reality is that communities and families are being damaged by political shell games that have far reaching social and economic consequences. Even as the State of Tennessee spends MORE on delivering LESS health care, thus, straining local government and medical professionals, weakening communities, and hurting families, many Tennesseans believe things are under control.
“Cover Tennessee” is at least the fourth (major) bitter promise, with regard to health care, that Mr. Bredesen is expecting Tennesseans to swallow, and many are gulping it down like sweet tea in August.
By using episodic framing and ingrained American political parables, Mr. Bredesen has, to date, successfully made promise after unfulfilled promise and not been held accountable by most of the public or media. He has gotten away with not keeping his promises by tapping into the public’s collective unconscious, by activating mental pictures (frames) that have already been put in place for decades and successfully reinforced by conservatives. Mental pictures triggered by certain words and concepts help a brilliantly manipulative politician drag Tennessean further into crisis. Leaving us to guess when we will be able to Recover Tennessee.
Let’s recall the “Bredesen Big 4” whoppers:
Promise #1: Bredesen vow in 2002 gubernatorial campaign. (See previous post about polling on this issue.) He evoked a nurturing parent stance, thus, won (needing moderate/center).
“Well, folks, I did my best but those pesky advocates hampered me—that’s not to say I’m not more powerful and in complete control. This is going to hurt me more than you all I’m about to cut. At least, now, I can say it’s fixed—er, I mean, this isn’t what I want to do, but those dang public interest attorneys have forced my hand. And let’s be honest. I’m a businessman. I’ve never lied about that. And what is health care if not a business? I cannot ask my buddies and supporters to give up their sweet deals, wouldn’t be prudent business acumen, now would it?
“You know I don’t want to snuff health care for hundreds of thousands of mentally and physically ill, may of whom are poor, elderly, disabled, and dealing with just about any horrible disease you can think of, but, it’s not my fault they are sick. Gosh darn it! When it comes to being a leader and finding equitable solutions to health care, he ain’t my brother, he’s heavy!
“Well, it’s not as bad as it sounds. There’s a Safety Net, you see. It’ll catch ‘em. No one’s going to be harmed. What’s that? Details? Oh, there’s no need to talk about that. I’ll fix it. I promise. I promise. I promise.” </I>
Promise #4: In 2006, Bredesen declares he has fulfilled his campaign promise as the harm of the 2005 cuts come to light and disenrollees, caregivers, advocates, media, and legislators continue to search for the Safety Net with little success. He disavows everyone and vows to help everyone, simultaneously. Strict father firmly set, uses episodic frames to isolate and villainize the poor, sick, and elderly and to pit majority (the uninsured and the uninsurable, employed and unemployed) that should be working together against his regressive and elitist policy.
“Those darn reports are wrong! Wrong, I tell you. Where are the bodies? I don’t see ‘em piling up in the streets. The Safety Net stretches across the state for anyone who needs it. Besides, getting rid of 225,000 on TennCare is really a good thing. I mean, gee, we have another 600,000 or 700,000, maybe even 800,000 other uninsured--if you believe the US Census—what I like to call “working” uninsured. (Psst…you know the code, as opposed to those nardowells I just dumped.)
“C’mon, aren’t you tired of hearing about TennCare? That’s so yesterday! Cover Tennessee is the new game. Get with the program, homie. I’m going to make sure that every hard working Tennessean who wants health insurance has a chance to buy it—even if it’s not for working families and won’t really help the individual worker if s/he comes down with anything more than the flu—not the bird flu, mind you, just a mild bug. What’s that? The details? Oh, not again! You should know the drill by now. I’ll fix it. I promise. I promise. I promise. I promise. Geez!"