Obamacare Architect: We Passed the Law Thanks to the 'Stupidity of the American Voter'

One of the architects of Obamacare said the law was written in a deliberately “tortured” way and relied on the “stupidity of the American voter” to ensure its passage. In a newly unearthed 2013 clip, Jonathan Gruber, the MIT health economist who helped craft parts of the Affordable Care Act, got fairly candid about the tactics used to get the Affordable Care Act passed during a panel at the Annual Health Economists’ Conference last year. “This bill was written in a tortured way to make sure [the Congressional Budget Office] did not score the mandate as taxes,” Gruber said in one 52-second clip. “If CBO scored the mandate as taxes, the bill dies. OK, so it’s written to do that. In terms of risk-rated subsidies, if you had a law which said that healthy people are going to pay in – you made explicit healthy people pay in and sick people get money, it would not have passed.” Gruber then trumpeted the value of a “lack of transparency” — and called American voters stupid. “Lack of transparency is a huge political advantage,” Gruber said. “And basically, call it the stupidity of the American voter or whatever, but basically that was really really critical for the thing to pass.”

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I think that most legislation relies on the stupidity of the American voter to pass....
But when the guy that devised the law comes right out and calls the voters stupid, well haven't we had enough yet?

a reply to: butcherguy

Betcha he didn't have much to do with the bill (although I don't know). Probably far from a major 'architect' of the legislation. Architects don't usually brag about the poor quality of the people who will live in their creations, but know that something is created to benefit those who will be embraced within it.

a reply to: Aleister
Here is what his Wikipedia page says:

In 2009–10 Gruber served as a technical consultant to the Obama Administration and worked with both the administration and Congress to help craft the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, often referred to as the ACA or "Obamacare"

He also was a key architect of the MA healthcare reform, AKA 'Romneycare'.

a reply to: butcherguy

Stupidity of the American voter, or stupidity of the Congressional democrat? That is who voted for it (to find out what was in it).

I have found that democrat bills usually have names that are the exact opposite of what's in them, kinda like what comes out of their mouths. "Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act" - It is neither affordable nor does it protect patients.

We Passed the Law Thanks to the 'Stupidity of the American Voter'

That might be the first true statement to ever come out of this administration, me thinks.

a reply to: butcherguy

Thanks, and as I said in my post, I didn't know how much he was really involved. He does seem to have had a major hand in it (from the Wikipedia page, if it is accurate). So from the horses mouth comes some discussion of realpolitik, and he seems to have put his foot in that mouth too.

a reply to: butcherguy

If it relied on an idea that community, moral responsibility taking care of humans is a benefit for all, it would be DOA.

The way for various interest groups to "win" is appealing to apathy and raw stupidity. Confused adolescents circling the drain thinking they're on a cruise.

It would be humorous if it wasn't so pathetic.

Well, not a SINGLE Republican legislator voted for it...Fortunately for him, there was no shortage of "stupid" Democrats in congress.

Of course, there's quite a few LESS "Stupid" Democrats in the House and Senate after last Tuesday.

Well at least he came right out and said it.

I find it amazing despite the obvious contempt politicians and their cronies have for the citizens of this country who have to get up and go to work every morning, we continue to grant them the legal power to do these things to us and then later they shove it in our faces like this.

And we defend it.

Still too early to shoot the bastards...But that time is coming.

a reply to: butcherguy

The thing about it is many of us smarter folks knew this. We didn't have to be told.

Those same "stupid people" keep voting for the same stupid people too!

a reply to: IAMTAT

And do you think this will make a difference. Your comments just show how naive you are and how much you are lapping up the soap opera politics. Have you no memory? All i can say is BUSH. Maybe he is right, the people (every country) are so well conditioned they just go along with the river not looking back or forward.

Not too long ago the American public vote in the Republicans with Bush as president, he takes you to war and facilitates attacks on US soil and kills many many US citizens. He brings in bills that make a mockery of the constitution and the public by the end hate him....annnnnnnd here come the democrats and the savior Obama. They believe the hype and think change has come, it has to when you compare bush with obama. How wrong you were!

Look what that wolf in sheeps clothing has done to all US citizens pretending he is down with the ordinary people while looking after the rich. Look at the wars he has continued and allowed and the many many many......broken promises.
So here we are full circle.....the republicans will save us.....we have to get Obama out...look at the things they have done!!! blah blah

The reason for Obamacare being named it? So the blame sticks with him and ends when he goes, yet it will remain with the next majority. Each party is used as an absorber taking the anger and blame for accelerated war and dealing with citizens as commodities. While they gather up the hate they are in turn wiping the memory of the previous governments crimes against humanity and when its time to leave they get a nice cushy multimillion dollar desk job.

Its the same in Britain and also in the north of Ireland. Im from a nationalist area in Belfast and have seen/involved in many terrible things. However that was a long time ago, but the politics in ireland have went the same way, using the hatred of the past conflicts to prevent us moving forward to a better society. It breaks my heart seeing loyalist families in the shankill (who i once despised) living in disgusting poverty while those are meant to represent them laugh down at them from their big mansions and "peace" trips around the world.

Its the same everywhere. People are just too blind to see the thumbs thats pushing them down.

originally posted by: InverseLookingGlass
a reply to: butcherguy

If it relied on an idea that community, moral responsibility taking care of humans is a benefit for all, it would be DOA.

The way for various interest groups to "win" is appealing to apathy and raw stupidity. Confused adolescents circling the drain thinking they're on a cruise.

It would be humorous if it wasn't so pathetic.

If it relied on telling people whose households were already on the edge that this things was going to push them over the edge into bankruptcy ... yeah, I guess not being able to maintain your family and having to go out on the street so that other people can have subsidies is very greedy ...

a reply to: butcherguy

So?

It's a better deal than what we had before the law. American voters are stupid...well, the American populace is pretty stupid on the whole. Just look at the 2014 midterm results. Those that did bother to vote (1/3rd of the voting age population) voted for worse of the two parties available. The other two-thirds didn't even bother voting. Apparently, the direction of the country/economy/whatever is just fine and dandy with more than half of the voting age population.

originally posted by: links234
a reply to: butcherguy

So?

It's a better deal than what we had before the law. American voters are stupid...well, the American populace is pretty stupid on the whole. Just look at the 2014 midterm results. Those that did bother to vote (1/3rd of the voting age population) voted for worse of the two parties available. The other two-thirds didn't even bother voting. Apparently, the direction of the country/economy/whatever is just fine and dandy with more than half of the voting age population.

Care to explain your analysis on the 2014 election. Seems those that didn't vote felt the change was needed too but couldn't bring themselves to vote Republican so they let others do it for them. Well it's either that or the free Obama phones and free smokes weren't going to do it for them again.

originally posted by: ScientiaFortisDefendit
a reply to: butcherguy

Stupidity of the American voter, or stupidity of the Congressional democrat? That is who voted for it (to find out what was in it).

I have found that democrat bills usually have names that are the exact opposite of what's in them, kinda like what comes out of their mouths. "Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act" - It is neither affordable nor does it protect patients.

Very true. I am facing a 17% increase in my government mandated healthcare. This was TARPS for the insurance industry.

originally posted by: ScientiaFortisDefendit
a reply to: butcherguy

Stupidity of the American voter, or stupidity of the Congressional democrat? That is who voted for it (to find out what was in it).

I have found that democrat bills usually have names that are the exact opposite of what's in them, kinda like what comes out of their mouths. "Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act" - It is neither affordable nor does it protect patients.

because "The Patriot Act" is totally patriotic?

Seems like that plan got him elected in the first place.

He sure can give a good speech.

a reply to: butcherguy
I wanted to see who was covering this story, so I google searched this phrase 'ACA architect calls voters stupid'.
Forbes is covering it. I found the links that I have in the OP. I see right wing blogs with it, but I don't see ABC, NBC, CBS or CNN covering it.

a reply to: butcherguy

Why would anyone else cover it? It's not news to anyone except the rightwing blogosphere.

a reply to: butcherguy

.... but I don't see ABC, NBC, CBS or CNN covering it.

They have to figure out which definition of "stupid" to use.

Won't be easy.