:)

Understand what you are selling and what they are wanting to buy.

Everyone wants healthcare.  Prenatal health care is free in many states because a little bit of food and vitamins can dramatically change a child's future and States make money by providing access to these services and then enjoying the taxes from a non medically compromised adult 18 years later.

But not everyone wants to be moving money from the middle class to pay for the poor elderly who will never pay more taxes.

The first is fundamentally an investment and second is a consumption that is only attractive to those who's belief is that we are all equal earner and non earner and should have certain consumptions assured to all.

Intelligent use of policy would have moved health care up to where the majority of people feel comfortable with it being.  This wouldn't have given Obama much of what he was seeking but it would have stood the test of time.  Social Security is an example of this, it doesn't really make the poor less poor.  Instead it forces the poor, and the rich foolish to invest for their future when they probably wouldn't have and by doing so improves their quality of life in a way that they are happy about once they receive it.

Progressives are constantly trying to move PAST what the majority want.  Because of this people don't trust them as much as the people who want to stay where we are and move slower than what the majority is comfortable with.

Clear simple example:

Assertion:

The overwhelming majority of people want to pay into a program that gives free health care to the poor.

Test case:

Circulate a petition for your HMO to give certain health care services to the homeless at the expense of those who pay into the HMO.

Demonstration:

If you are right this would be popular and you could effect change quickly as your HMO could advertise that they have this program and other competitors don't.

Progressive Double think:

The people want it they just don't realize they want it and they need government to force it on them first.  They would be willing to accept it but they don't actually actively want it yet.

And that is how you lose elections.