I'm not here to get into the fight about whether Reid is right or wrong to go with his watered down public option. It'd be preaching to the choir. I'm with you guys, I wanted single payer and a complete robust public option should have BEEN the compromise. Instead we began the game from a position of weakness and we're now staring down at the fruit. So if you want to fight that the Reid compromise is too much, have fun but it's probably best used in another diary.
I'm here to argue that maybe, just maybe, the opt out Public Option will be the perfect poison pill to destroy our opposition in the South. To hear my inane ramblings, to the fold!
Here is what I'm envisioning. Several southern states with really stupid Governors line up to be the first to play the game of whack a mole that would be opting out of the public option. Texas would be quick to take the bait, one would think.
When that begins to happen...we just might see the final death throes of the Republican Party itself.
Just picture it. In sane states, they would stay in for obvious reasons. Costs will go down (though not as much as they would with a real public option) and almost everyone in the state will have health insurance. There will be no stories of peoples lives ruined by health care bills. And so on.
And in the stupider states, they won't. Costs will go up. The bad guys will continue to profit without regulation. Hundreds of thousands of people (at least) will be without health insurance. All because of idiot politicians more paranoid than Bill Maher after a 5 hour summit with Snoop Dogg and Tommy Chong.
You have to think that the stupidity of men will, once again, lead many of them to their destruction. And states where we don't usually hear progressive voices survive will change. More Jon Testers and less zeolots.
If things work out this way, maybe, just maybe, the further debts to our pocket and our soul will almost be worth it. If it helps push the Republican Party faster down the drain.
A man can dream can't he?