Insane healthcare 'survey' from right-wing whack job

Today in the mail I have received the "2009 National Survey of 1,000,000 Seniors Concerning President Obama's Plan to Force Socialized Medicine on America" (here's a scan of page 1). Wow.

This would be laughable if it were not for the fact that there are so many sheeple who believe anything spewed from the blathermouths on Faux News and right wingnut talk radio (O'Reilly, Beck, Limbaugh, et al). If people would read the proposed bills and think for themselves, instead of trusting the scare tactic snippets that they see and hear, we might be able to have a real discussion about healthcare solutions. But the conservative media and the co-opted Republican Party want nothing to do with real discussion.

There are numerous problems with the mailing I received:

1. It's addressed to "Seniors". Hey man, I'm barely past 50! I'll be working another 20 years before I retire - maybe more. I think it's time to shift the term "senior" to correspond to the retirement age defined by Social Security. But that's my own personal issue :)


2. Um, WHAT "Plan to Force Socialized Medicine on America"? Have these folks read any of the proposed legislation? I have. I see nothing about socialized medicine. I don't even see anything proposing a single-payer system like Canada's (which is different than a socialized healthcare system like in the UK ...but I suspect that if these folks understand the difference, they do not want to let on)


3. "Force"?!? Nope. The best I'm hoping for is that a public option is available to people who have no other option. My dad went bankrupt from medical expenses (eventually paying the bills off - even though he did not legally have to) because he had no other choice; no one should have to go through that. But there's certainly nothing in the proposals about ANY socialized system, let alone forcing one on people.


4. The questions in this "survey" are not worded in anything CLOSE to an unbiased manner. Example is Question 6: "Do you think adopting a massive Socialized Medicine system, like what President Obama is proposing, is more likely to help or hurt the U.S economy?" ...Sheesh, that's like asking, "Pope Benedict, when did you stop beating your wife?" ...a question so incredibly insane and inane, there is no possible way to respond, other than to ask the questioner if they are current on their meds.


5. "Question" 13: "In addition to sending your $12.95 Annual CSA Membership Dues for 2009 ..." and it goes on to ask for more money. Um ...no.


6. They also ask for a voluntary $10 "Survey Processing Contribution" ...and an "Additional Gift". Hey, if I had more money to give, I would donate more to the local food bank and to other organizations that truly help people.


7. And the worst part about this mailer: it is from Jim Lafferty of the Traditional Values Coalition. This should really be named the Insane Hate-Spew & Lies Coalition. One prime focus of the site and organization is to spread anti-gay falsehoods. It's hard to look at the site for too long.

Also curious to me was that the return envelope says that the organization is an alternative "to the Far-Left AARP". WTF?!? And yet again all I can say is ...wow.

Comments

[Robin 'Roblimo' Miller]

Minus the money pitches, we got a similar survey by email from Congressman Vern Buchanan (R-Rich Assholes). This is what the licans are up to these days. Remember when it was the GRAND old party? Sad.

[Frank Schumann Msgt USAFR ( RE]

Sounds like this survey maybe right wing however your comment regarding Fox News is incorrect. First and foremost Fox news has more viewers than all the other news, broadcast and cable combined. That tells me it is trusted far more then the others and at least Fox news does tell us ALL the news unlike NBC, ABC and CBS.

I just heard today that the Democrats are proposing a penalty of over $3,000.00 for people who refuse to buy health insurance. Makes sense to me after all someone has to pay for for this socialized healthcare.

According to all the polls we need not worry as they all say it "ain't gonna happen" anyway. The American people are waking up to what this president is doing to the country. Like Bill O'Reilly said last night that his inexperience is really starting to show.

By the way, if you actually watched Fox News you would know that Rush is not part of Fox News.

[Barry in Portland]

Frank, one of us is delusional.

Why do you suppose you are required to buy car insurance? Think about it.

[Joe Litton]

Frank, Frank, Frank ...I hope you read legislation more carefully than blog posts like mine. If you look again, you'll see that preceding the parenthetical reference to Limbaugh, I wrote, "Faux News and right wingnut talk radio". In addition to being the de-facto head of the Republican Party, Limbaugh is one of the voices on right wingnut talk radio.

I do watch Fox (and other broadcast and cable stations) - as much as I can stand, anyway. Heck, I used to catch Rush's show years back when he was on TV. While his drug use has increased, his grasp of facts has not.

You use a phrase "I heard" similar to one used on Fox quite often, "Some say". Please provide references for your assertions; otherwise, one can only take these statements as hearsay, which is worth little.

As for viewership, I do not know the stats. And I don't care that much. But I definitely disagree that Fox tells ALL the news! Wow. THAT claim is just laughable.

[Barry in Portland]

Frank - where did you go?