Update: McCain Selects Gov. Sarah Palin as Running Mate

I am not at all being sarcastic about this. I understand that Politicians are expected to be good public speakers, but what is the relevance really? Being able to speak well in public or not does not indicate your ability to govern people. Talk is cheap, show me your ability through your actions.

I am not taking a shot at either the Dems or the Reps. I am just saying who gives a shit about how good of a public speaker the president or vice president is? He or she could be a deaf mute as long as they make wise decisions.

I am not at all being sarcastic about this. I understand that Politicians are expected to be good public speakers, but what is the relevance really? Being able to speak well in public or not does not indicate your ability to govern people. Talk is cheap, show me your ability through your actions.

I am not taking a shot at either the Dems or the Reps. I am just saying who gives a shit about how good of a public speaker the president or vice president is? He or she could be a deaf mute as long as they make wise decisions.

I agree!

I think it is funny how everyone is like their speeches were so powerful. When they were speaking to their own party. IF I was talking in front of my family they would probably cheer just as loud. So dumb.

Plus sometimes they go for the cheap easy stand up comendian cheer. Example: "Hey anyone here from St. Paul? Great city!".

you could have saved yourself alot of time, and said the health care industry, combined with the insurance companies, have way too much money to let national health care be thrust onto the American people. who cares if its the right thing, as long as all the people employed by these mega giants get rich( or at least more then their fair share) health care in America is, and always will be, about the money. and anyone who thinks otherwise, is just fooling themselves. i thought Mrs Palin did well last night. but i expected her to. the thing that makes me laugh is that the G.O.P trots her out there, with her typical rhetoric, and applauds her normalcy. are the republicans that out of touch? i dare to think so

Way too much money?? You clearly haven't been paying attention. Try changing that to "not nearly enough."

You clearly didn't read my post thoroughly. I don't expect people to understand these problems like I have to as part of my job, but at least read my post before commenting.

Nobody gets rich on the healthcare provider side, except for superstar surgeons (as they should).

Last year we lost $60 million. Our physician practice broke even, but only because we subsidized about $24 million in operational losses.

Most hospitals are lucky to cover costs without help from the taxpayer. Insurance carriers have meager profit margins, typically around 5%. The players within the industry are not the problem, the actual expenses (drug costs, malpractice costs, costs of new clinical equipment, new science & technology) involved with treating illnesses are the problem.

Know who's getting rich off healthcare? Civil lawyers collecting gigantic fees from malpractice settlements, and the pharmaceutical companies.

I am not at all being sarcastic about this. I understand that Politicians are expected to be good public speakers, but what is the relevance really? Being able to speak well in public or not does not indicate your ability to govern people. Talk is cheap, show me your ability through your actions.

I am not taking a shot at either the Dems or the Reps. I am just saying who gives a shit about how good of a public speaker the president or vice president is? He or she could be a deaf mute as long as they make wise decisions.

True, a great speaker does not necessarily mean he/she is a great leader. BUT, from someone who is running the country we should have a certain expectation when it comes to being able to communicate effectively.

Some things should not be motivated by profit.

Reality sucks, doesn't it?

McCain's plan is way more realistic and actually has a fighting chance of making an impact. Everyone in the healthcare industry knows it.
Great post Schneed.

I really wish folks who advocate National Health Care would read your post in detail and get off the "we owe it to the American people to give everyone health coverage", "what kind of country are we when 40M don't have health coverage".

What about the 260M American's who have made sacrifices in one way or another to obtain health coverage? Why should their level of coverage decline and their tax burden increase because 10-13% of the population of our country has made a decision not to get coverage?

Dirtbag's posts make a great deal of sense as well. I have firsthand experience going from private insurance to government healthcare. Without a great deal of detail, my dad had a brain tumor and my mom was working in her 60s for the sole reason of providing health coverage for my dad (unfortunately at the time I wasn't making enough to pay for private coverage for them). The coverage was pretty good and provided things my dad needed. When my dad was forced over to Medicaid the benefits declined greatly.

There are areas of our healthcare system that need improvement, but a healthcare system run by the government would be ridiculously more expensive with much worse service.

I am not at all being sarcastic about this. I understand that Politicians are expected to be good public speakers, but what is the relevance really? Being able to speak well in public or not does not indicate your ability to govern people. Talk is cheap, show me your ability through your actions.

I am not taking a shot at either the Dems or the Reps. I am just saying who gives a shit about how good of a public speaker the president or vice president is? He or she could be a deaf mute as long as they make wise decisions.

I do absolutely agree, but like Matty points out, they need to be able to communicate effectively. As long as that happens, I'm ok with less than stellar eloquence.
Nothing would scare me more than to hear this:
"Like, hello everyone, my name is like Lindsay, and I'm running for like Senanator...no like wait, I'm running for like presidentialey like man. Or like woman, depending on your like preference."

Some things should not be motivated by profit.
It's profit that has motivated the great advances we have in medicine today.

Please tell me one technological or medical advance that has come from Government....you might find one or two rare instances, but innovation comes from the private sector and their motive is profit.

What great technological or medical innovations come from Communist countries, few or none because there is little to no profit motive to innovate.

EDIT: Improving patient care and service are also motivated by profit. If there is no profit motive, organizations will do the minimum to just get by.

Some things should not be motivated by profit.

Ha, profit. That's funny.

Hospitals aren't motivated by profit, they're motivated by trying to break even and keep the doors open.

I do absolutely agree, but like Matty points out, they need to be able to communicate effectively. As long as that happens, I'm ok with less than stellar eloquence.
Nothing would scare me more than to hear this:
"Like, hello everyone, my name is like Lindsay, and I'm running for like Senanator...no like wait, I'm running for like presidentialey like man. Or like woman, depending on your like preference."

LOL, yes communicating effectively (to your cabinet) is a necessity, telling me how great you are while bashing someone else (verbally) in a public forum is not my idea of effective communication. It is more like watching WWE.