Trump On Obamacare

So with the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), more commonly known as Obamacare, being upheld in court the debate is going to escalate. Unfortunately so is misinformation, divisive vitriolic rhetoric, and many unfortunate insults; like the quote accompanying the image on Facebook that reads “the Donald………..calling Obama’s Trump card! or is he Just calling a Spade………..A SPADE???!!!!!”.

Let me get this straight…

We’re going to be “gifted” with a health care plan we are forced to purchase and fined if we don’t, which purportedly covers at least ten million more people, without adding a single new doctor, but provides for 16,000 new IRS agents, written by a committee whose chairman says he doesn’t understand it, passed by a Congress who didn’t read it but exempted themselves from it, and signed by a Dumbo President who smokes, with funding administered by a treasury chief who didn’t pay his taxes, for which we’ll be taxed for four years before any benefits take effect, by a government who has already bankrupted Social Security and Medicare, all to be overseen by a Surgeon General who is obese, and financed by a country that is broke!!!!

Here is another go round in the get-your-facts-straight category. Social media is currently passing around the above image and quote supposedly said by Donald Trump on Obamacare. Except that Trump didn’t say it.

However, that criticism didn’t originate with any public statement made by Donald Trump: it’s an anonymous bit of political humor that has been posted and reposted many times in blogs and social media since at least as far back as March 2010. – snopes.com. “Donald Trump on Obamacare”.

With sites like Snopes.com, About.com’s Urban Legends section and the almighty Google search engine, you’d think people would do some research first. This is the gift and the curse  of social media.People pass on something immediately without knowing what’s behind it or if it’s actually true or not.

Personally, I was not a fan of the mandate from the beginning but I do agree we need a better health care system in this country. In any case, my opinion on that doesn’t matter. My point here is that we need to at least look into something before we take part in the discussion. We may still end up being wrong but it will bring some civility back into the conversation.

Also for those that oppose Obamacare, know that his current opponent, Mitt Romney, passed a very similar law as governor of Massachusetts. Mandate included.

Romney’s attempt to distance himself from Mr. Obama’s law got tougher Monday when senior campaign adviser Eric Fehrnstrom veered off-message, saying the mandate in Romney’s own health care plan was a penalty, not a tax – essentially siding with the president. – cbsnews.com. “Romney in bind over health care mandate”.

We are all angry and upset at everything but let’s look for reasons not to be instead of automatically looking to fuel the fire.

Additional:
http://www.snopes.com/politics/soapbox/trumpobamacare.asp
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505267_162-57465525/romney-in-bind-over-health-care-mandate/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patient_Protection_and_Affordable_Care_Act
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Massachusetts_health_care_reform

Jaylon Carter

Jaylon Carter is a blogger, social media marketing consultant, former Congressional Campaign Media & Communications Director, national labor union vice block leader, and a Hip Hop artist who performs under the stage name Timid (@timidmc).