The Other McCain

"One should either write ruthlessly what one believes to be the truth, or else shut up." — Arthur Koestler

The Nadir of Hackery

Posted on | November 29, 2013 | 33 Comments

Fail, failure, failing — anyone who has paid attention to the ObamaCare rollout knows that it has more that justified the criticism of its opponents. The president’s signature legislation is a policy disaster for the nation and a political liability for Democrats. Any attempt to ignore that objective truth is simply dishonest. And speaking of “simply dishonest,” Josh Marshall of Talking Points Memo:

For years, Obamacare supporters weathered at best tepid support for the President’s reform in the expectation that once people experienced the actual law, rather than the right-wing fever dream, opinions would change. Then they were hit with the wholly unexpected surprise of a botched website roll out that set the whole public opinion war back on its heels and then a wave of cancellations that were reported in a misleading way (and only affected a tiny portion of the population) but nevertheless further soured public opinion.
But for all that, here’s why I think the generally cataclysmic press is overblown and why the law will be a success. . . .

He goes on from there, but you get the general idea — Josh Marshall begins his argument with the conclusion and then, ignoring all contradictory evidence, scrounges up whatever excuses and rationalizations can be made to serve his conclusion. Whatever else he may be, Josh Marshall is a partisan Democrat, and his is a partisan argument. Anyone who doubts him is pre-emptively accused of buying into “misleading” reporting and “the right-wing fever dream.”

Josh Marshall is as objective about ObamaCare as a Baptist evangelist is objective about Jesus. Yet in this tent revival, Josh Marshall preaches only to the faithful, and offers this as his altar call:

We didn’t pass Health Care Reform for it to reap electoral gains for Democrats (though I think it still will) or to have it be popular, per se (though I suspect it will be). The aim was to get people covered, make the health care provision system more efficient and reduce the scale of human suffering, especially the spectrum of suffering tied to your wealth and your luck.
By that standard, I think it will be a success and I think there will be no going back. And that’s the only standard that matters.

If you don’t accept the eternal salvation of ObamaCare, Preacher Josh is saying, it’s because you don’t want to “reduce the scale of human suffering.” You are morally inferior, a sinner.

What was that he said about a “fever dream”?

 

Category: Health Care

Comments

33 Responses to “The Nadir of Hackery”

  1. MrEvilMatt
    November 29th, 2013 @ 7:50 am

    The Nadir of Hackery: Fail, failure, failing — anyone who has paid attention to the ObamaCare rollout knows th… http://t.co/HfbDGCRaoc

  2. CHideout
    November 29th, 2013 @ 7:50 am

    The Nadir of Hackery: Fail, failure, failing — anyone who has paid attention to the ObamaCare rollout knows th… http://t.co/UZGnQimuoy

  3. jwbrown1969
    November 29th, 2013 @ 7:50 am

    The Nadir of Hackery: Fail, failure, failing — anyone who has paid attention to the ObamaCare rollout knows th… http://t.co/EgeeOHOMNe

  4. Lockestep1776
    November 29th, 2013 @ 7:50 am

    The Nadir of Hackery: Fail, failure, failing — anyone who has paid attention to the ObamaCare rollout knows th… http://t.co/GWlT6aop9Q

  5. Resista38176897
    November 29th, 2013 @ 7:50 am

    The Nadir of Hackery: Fail, failure, failing — anyone who has paid attention to the ObamaCare rollout knows th… http://t.co/XOW88wTFsr

  6. Citzcom
    November 29th, 2013 @ 7:50 am

    The Nadir of Hackery: Fail, failure, failing — anyone who has paid attention to the ObamaCare rollout knows th… http://t.co/Raw3XgJejE

  7. rsmccain
    November 29th, 2013 @ 7:52 am

    “Josh Marshall is as objective about ObamaCare as a Baptist evangelist is objective about Jesus.” http://t.co/GZKFVeVfsh cc @instapundit

  8. Wellfonder
    November 29th, 2013 @ 7:53 am

    RT @rsmccain: “Josh Marshall is as objective about ObamaCare as a Baptist evangelist is objective about Jesus.” http://t.co/GZKFVeVfsh cc @…

  9. ItsThatBriGuy
    November 29th, 2013 @ 7:53 am

    RT @rsmccain: “Josh Marshall is as objective about ObamaCare as a Baptist evangelist is objective about Jesus.” http://t.co/GZKFVeVfsh cc @…

  10. vermontaigne
    November 29th, 2013 @ 7:54 am

    RT @rsmccain: “Josh Marshall is as objective about ObamaCare as a Baptist evangelist is objective about Jesus.” http://t.co/GZKFVeVfsh cc @…

  11. DavidJMadeira
    November 29th, 2013 @ 7:57 am

    RT @rsmccain: “Josh Marshall is as objective about ObamaCare as a Baptist evangelist is objective about Jesus.” http://t.co/GZKFVeVfsh cc @…

  12. DanRiehl
    November 29th, 2013 @ 7:59 am

    RT @rsmccain: “Josh Marshall is as objective about ObamaCare as a Baptist evangelist is objective about Jesus.” http://t.co/GZKFVeVfsh cc @…

  13. rsmccain
    November 29th, 2013 @ 8:04 am

    RT @Citzcom: The Nadir of Hackery: Fail, failure, failing — anyone who has paid attention to the ObamaCare rollout knows th… http://t.co/…

  14. robinsnewswire
    November 29th, 2013 @ 8:05 am

    RT @Citzcom: The Nadir of Hackery: Fail, failure, failing — anyone who has paid attention to the ObamaCare rollout knows th… http://t.co/…

  15. MichaelBarger1
    November 29th, 2013 @ 8:10 am

    RT @rsmccain: “Josh Marshall is as objective about ObamaCare as a Baptist evangelist is objective about Jesus.” http://t.co/GZKFVeVfsh cc @…

  16. laurahollis61
    November 29th, 2013 @ 8:18 am

    RT @rsmccain: “Josh Marshall is as objective about ObamaCare as a Baptist evangelist is objective about Jesus.” http://t.co/GZKFVeVfsh cc @…

  17. Steve Skubinna
    November 29th, 2013 @ 9:05 am

    In the meantime, you can book a great deal on a suite for RMS Titanic’s maiden voyage.

  18. joethefatman1
    November 29th, 2013 @ 9:15 am

    The Nadir of Hackery http://t.co/4yj3SVtVtW

  19. The Nadir of Hackery | Dead Citizen's Rights Society
    November 29th, 2013 @ 9:22 am

    […] Read the rest … […]

  20. Josh_Painter
    November 29th, 2013 @ 9:32 am

    RT @smitty_one_each: TOM The Nadir of Hackery http://t.co/uVuDebkQl9 #TCOT

  21. smitty_one_each
    November 29th, 2013 @ 9:34 am

    “In the meantime, you can book a great deal on a suite for RMS Titanic’s maiden voyage.” — Steve Skubinna http://t.co/ayxBiwDRSx

  22. McGehee
    November 29th, 2013 @ 9:45 am

    wholly unexpected surprise

    I don’t think that means what Josh thinks it means.

  23. screwtape1a12
    November 29th, 2013 @ 9:55 am

    RT @rsmccain: “Josh Marshall is as objective about ObamaCare as a Baptist evangelist is objective about Jesus.” http://t.co/GZKFVeVfsh cc @…

  24. smitty_one_each
    November 29th, 2013 @ 10:00 am

    “wholly unexpected surprise

    I don’t think that means what Josh thinks it means.” — McGehee http://t.co/akzCRDiZ3C

  25. richard mcenroe
    November 29th, 2013 @ 10:31 am

    “If you don’t accept the eternal salvation of ObamaCare, Preacher Josh is
    saying, it’s because you don’t want to “reduce the scale of human
    suffering.” You are morally inferior, a sinner.”

    This is exactly how Progs go through life looking at their families, their neighbors, people they pass on the street. It’s why they cannot be trusted with any sort of responsibility; taqqiyah is seared into every fiber of their being.

  26. robcrawford2
    November 29th, 2013 @ 10:56 am

    Apparently the intent was to “reduce suffering” through euthanasia. They’ve been cancelling the policies of cancer patients all over the country — and when of them spoke out, the IRStappo informed him he’s being audited.

  27. Professor_Why
    November 29th, 2013 @ 11:00 am

    The Nadir of Hackery http://t.co/ldlwlAEALV

  28. Brett
    November 29th, 2013 @ 11:08 am

    Note Marshall is called a realist in the headline, with no clue that such a determination is the prerogative of his readers, not himself or his editors. Feedback, of course, is essential to judging the quality of one’s arguments. As such self-assessment is unwelcome at TPM, comments are disabled. Oh, they’ll take comments by email, but that effortlessly hides them from the public.

  29. Emilio_Crosby
    November 29th, 2013 @ 12:59 pm

    The Nadir of Hackery http://t.co/0UMq5m2MBN

  30. The Crisis of the Obama Cult : The Other McCain
    November 29th, 2013 @ 2:45 pm

    […] Josh Marshall has gone all-in on self-abnegation. Other cultists may be less willing to “step out on faith” so boldly. Remember that the phrase “drink the Kool-Aid” is a reference to the means of mass suicide at Jonestown. And remember that Jim Jones was a leftist. […]

  31. dave_mears
    November 29th, 2013 @ 3:03 pm

    The Nadir of Hackery http://t.co/69PdTu1BX9 – if the majority think they’re losers in the deal, ‘going back’ is inevitable.

  32. JadedByPolitics
    November 29th, 2013 @ 4:57 pm

    The Nadir of Hackery http://t.co/Z2XmcDUDcF

  33. LeatherPenguin
    November 29th, 2013 @ 5:33 pm

    The Nadir of Hackery http://t.co/pGXEDWuTc5