Let’s win one for the Swimmer

Name change won’t help this or Obamacare

"You've heard of 'Win one for the Gipper'?" said Ralph Neas, CEO of the National Coalition on Health Care, which is supporting Obama's plan. "There is going to be 'Win one for Teddy.' "—New York Post

From 1990 to 2000 the Ford Motor Company and Firestone Tires were responsible for what has been estimated as over 250 deaths and more than 3,000 serious injuries resulting from Ford Explorers and other Ford SUVs. (see source)

In 2001 after much finger pointing Firestone Tires and the Ford Motor Company effectively ended their 100-year supply relationship which resulted in Firestone tires changing their name to that of Bridgestone Tires.

This practice is called rebranding. If your product falls on public disfavor or it is found inferior in some way you just simply change the name and keep on selling the same old hash.

Prior to this August recess Congressmen and Senators alike were briefed for hours on how to sell (or defend) Obamacare to constituents back home. When these Democrat politicians came home and attempted to regurgitate party line support for their unpopular Health Care agenda Democrats found that their constituents and their political opposition alike were not buying the Obama Pelosi Health Care balderdash.

In the interim Sen. Edward Kennedy passed away (his funeral held this weekend) and in the spirit of never letting a serious crisis or death in this case go to waste Democrats are seriously considering rebranding Health Care Reform to Kennedy Memorial Health Care Reform. (see story)

"I hope, when legislation has been signed into law, [it] will bear [Kennedy's] name for his commitment to insuring the health of every American," says West Virginia Democrat Robert Byrd, the Senate's most senior member.

Indeed, it's been reported that Democrats in both houses are preparing to rename President Obama's health-care scheme for Kennedy. –The New York Post

Let me say this about that… don’t do it Democrats. Kennedy is not as well loved as Democrats think. As a matter of fact Michael Jackson’s death was more publicly mourned than Kennedy’s death, better television coverage too.

If you do it you will leave an already heavily damaged Obamacare open to the negatives of the Edward Kennedy reputation. Just think if this Health Care bill is identified with Kennedy it could quickly become the Mary Jo Kopechne Health Care bill and the rallying cry could be my favorite, Let’s win one for the Swimmer!

My message to Democrats is please let’s do less with rebranding and more with real reform. But if you chose to rename Obamacare in Edward Moore Kennedy’s name most people will see that as an transparent attempt to get cheap sympathy support. If you insist on doing that then may Obamacare suffer the fate of it’s purposed namesake!