Stu Blog: We have to pass health care, before we can know how to sell it to the people

GLENN: We have a lot to cover and I want to start right with the new, the new PowerPoint presentation for the left to be able to go and speak to constituents and their strategy for winning. This has been put together with the Herndon Alliance. Now, what is the Herndon Alliance?

STU: That's a fabulous group of

PAT: It is.

STU: well meaning groups.

GLENN: But you don't even know what the Herndon Alliance is. I mean, you don't even know. And does it have foreign connections? Is it possibly connected for the Center for American Prosperity? You don't know. It is, quote, a low profile group which coordinated the liberal messaging in favor of the public option in healthcare. Its partners include AARP, AFL CIO, the SEIU, Healthcare for America Now, moveon.org and La Raza. Oh, this is mainstream America, sure.

STU: What could possibly go wrong?

GLENN: Nothing could go wrong. All right. So there are three private research projects for Democratic pollsters, there are focus groups that they have done, and they are doing presentations now to all of the people that are going to be trying to get Democrats elected. And so they have a whole bunch of different things that they can talk about on how to get them elected in regards to healthcare. Here's the strategy.

STU: Yeah, we have to, of course, pass healthcare before we can figure out how to talk about it. And now that it's passed, we can start talking about, you know, how to message this to the people so they get to like it. Because for some reason, Glenn, they are not understanding how much it will benefit them.

GLENN: Okay. Now, hang on just a second. What were the promises that healthcare made? What were the things, why did we have to pass healthcare?

PAT: Well, everybody was going to be covered, for one.

GLENN: Everybody's going to be covered.

PAT: It was going to cost us less, it was going to reduce the deficit, remember? It was going to fix the economy because we can't get the economy fixed. People, these dumb people are trying to separate the economy from healthcare, they're one and the same.

GLENN: Okay. So it's going to reduce the deficit, it is going to cost us less, and everyone will be covered.

PAT: It's going to cover people who, of course, have preexisting conditions, they will all be taken care of. No one can ever be denied.

GLENN: Right.

PAT: Everybody will have healthcare.

GLENN: And it will never ration.

PAT: Never.

GLENN: We will never ration care. How dare you even say that.

PAT: Well, you are a conspiracy freak for saying that.

GLENN: Okay. All right. So go ahead. What did the Herndon Alliance say?

STU: Well, it was interesting. One of their main recommendations for the messaging

GLENN: No, I'm ready, I'm ready.

STU: of how Democrats are going to talk to you about healthcare is, quote, don't say the law will reduce cost and deficit.

PAT: What? Why not?

GLENN: Why?

STU: I don't know.

GLENN: That's a selling point. That is really good.

PAT: That is the selling point really, isn't it?

GLENN: Wait a minute, wait a minute, so are they implying that it is not going to reduce costs or lower the deficit? Because I don't see that happening.

STU: No, no.

GLENN: I see this absolutely being a reduction of spending.

STU: We have their main selling point for this proposal, six months after it's passed, three or four years before it's implemented. GLENN: Yeah.

STU: And they're already bailing on the promise.

GLENN: Saying that's not going to happen. Okay. So there's Recommendation Number 1.

STU: Yeah. Now, Recommendation Number 2's a little bit more complex. You can see this here, I can go to the Insiders, Insider Extreme.

GLENN: You know what? Post this on the front page of GlennBeck.com or put it in the free e mail newsletter today. You have to see this PowerPoint. It's unbelievable, unbelievable.

STU: Strategic recommendation, these are the traditional to dos. Outside of telling them they are no longer going to save money, reduce the deficit. This one here: Let voters know that healthcare law has passed.

GLENN: Oh. Okay, hang on just a second. So not the stupid people.

STU: No.

GLENN: That are hanging out at tea parties. Not those people.

STU: No. They know it's the fact.

GLENN: Yeah, they've been out there, they have been paying attention. They know all the ins and outs. They have been having the conversation. No. We're talking about the Obama supporters.

STU: Yeah.

GLENN: The Obama supporters that will be fooled into thinking that it is going to reduce the deficit and it is going to cost less and everyone will be covered because they no longer say those things, and they're so smart that they have to be told that it's passed.

STU: Yes. They think you're so dumb that you've missed the entire debate.

GLENN: No, no. No.

STU: Ill informed?

GLENN: No. No, they don't think you are.

STU: No, not you personally, of course.

GLENN: Yeah. They know who you are.

STU: Yeah.

GLENN: They think that their supporters.

STU: Their supporters, yeah.

GLENN: And there's a chance that their supporters are that dumb.

STU: Who else could you sell on the idea that the gigantic healthcare entitlement would lower costs and lower the deficit? You couldn't sell that to anyone.

GLENN: And then continue to fool them just by not talking about it anymore.

STU: Right. But I mean, that's not the entire plan, Glenn.

GLENN: Oh, okay.

STU: It would be irresponsible to say that's the entire plan.

GLENN: All right.

STU: There's also this, which is, make sure when you're talking about the healthcare plan, you talk about it, you don't want to list benefits outside of any personal context. And then it says that you need to make sure that you're personalizing every story. So you need to start basically talking about Sally Muckenfutch and her

GLENN: Oh, Sally.

PAT: Don't say that.

GLENN: Oh, no.

(Music playing)

GLENN: Sally, are you there? Sally, poor Sally!

(Music playing)

GLENN: All right. It's

STU: Sally should stop playing violin when she's trying

GLENN: It's a loud it's almost like the story doesn't matter because it will be the same. What are some of the stories?

STU: Well, yes.

PAT: Do we have some examples?

STU: Yes. They didn't you know, they are not going to just say, hey, look at it in personal context. They need to tell our lawmakers exactly what stories they should be telling.

GLENN: Listen to these stories.

STU: This is an example story. It's very upsetting.

(Music playing)

STU: I don't think the music it's too loud.

GLENN: Sally! Sally, turn down the music! Stop playing the piano! All right, go ahead.

STU: So here's the personal story. My name is Lindsey. I'm 23 years old and I have a 6 year old son named Jacob.

GLENN: Not Jacob. How old was he again?

STU: He's only 6.

GLENN: Oh, my goodness.

STU: He's only 6.

GLENN: I am so sad. Oh, that's not sad

STU: No, there's actually more.

GLENN: Okay, go ahead.

STU: I'm 23 years old and I have a 6 year old son named Jacob. Jacob has asthma.

GLENN: Oh, boy.

PAT: Oh, no.

GLENN: Oh, no. Oh, boy.

PAT: Not asthma.

STU: We got our health insurance from my husband's employer.

GLENN: Oh, boy, I hate that guy.

PAT: Oh, no.

STU: But he, because of this Bush economy.

PAT: Because of the Bush economy?

STU: He lost his job recently.

PAT: Oh, no. Wait, recently? How recently?

GLENN: Well, stop the music. Hang on. He lost his what?

PAT: He lost his job recently?

STU: Well, yeah, they

PAT: Since Bush has not been there?

STU: Well, they didn't actually put the Bush economy part in there. He said, we got our health insurance from my husband's employer, but he lost his job recently. I just assumed it was the Bush economy's fault. He found a new job that pays okay, but his new health insurance company will not give Jacob coverage because...

GLENN: Oh, my goodness. Sally. Sally.

STU: He has a preexist stop playing the piano in the middle of your story, Sally.

GLENN: I don't know why.

STU: He has a preexisting condition.

PAT: Oh, what is it? Oh, it's asthma?

STU: It's asthma.

PAT: That's right.

GLENN: Now, obviously we don't have the money for that insurance.

PAT: Obviously.

GLENN: I wait tables, too.

PAT: Oh, my gosh, she's got two jobs?

GLENN: No, her husband has a job and she has a job.

PAT: Oh, they have two oh, wow. So unlike so many families, they have to work two jobs, one each.

STU: Yeah, they have to average one job per family member.

GLENN: All right. So what happened then?

PAT: Oh, no.

GLENN: Does he have a

STU: Well, I wait tables, too, but we just can't afford to pay medical expenses out of pocket.

PAT: Of course they can't. Of course they can't. Who could?

STU: I know the new health insurance law isn't perfect, but starting in September it will be illegal for insurance companies to deny children with preexisting conditions helping their coverage.

GLENN: Right, he's going to deny everybody because they won't be able to I'm sorry, I digress.

STU: That's not actually in the report.

I can't tell you what a relief it is to me that Jacob...

PAT: He's got asthma!

STU: Soon he will get the care that he needs. I really hope, I guys.

PAT: Yeah?

GLENN: Oh, we forgot. We weren't at the apex of the story. Go ahead.

STU: I really hope.

PAT: I do, too.

STU: This law.

PAT: I don't even know what it is.

GLENN: I'm hoping for change. I'm hoping for change.

STU: You guys, I'm not getting to my hope because you keep interrupting.

GLENN: Don't define the hope. You should never define hope or change.

STU: No, there's only one thing she's hoping for.

GLENN: What's she happening for?

PAT: What is it?

STU: She's really hoping that this law does not get repealed.

GLENN: Oh!

PAT: Oh! Because of the evil conservative, hate mongering mongering, hate mongering hatred!

GLENN: I want you to know, I want you to know that your son will get his little breath thing for asthma.

STU: Breathalyzer?

PAT: His breathalyzer. Or is inhalator.

GLENN: Inhalator, breathalyzer, I can't remember which one the president said people with asthma get, but

STU: He said both.

GLENN: I want you to know that this healthcare is going to be so good because it's not going to reduce the deficit or make things cheaper, that by the time we give everybody with asthma free healthcare, your son's going to get a breath mint.

PAT: At the most. He will be lucky to get a breath mint

GLENN: But it has the word "Breath" in it. It's the breath of life. Here, have him suck on one of these, twice a day.

PAT: (Laughing).

STU: I mean, the plan basically is, sure, we've been lying to you for a year and a half, but think about Jacob. That is

GLENN: That is.

STU: That is the bottom line of the plan.

GLENN: That's amazing.

[NOTE: Transcript may have been edited to enhance readability - audio archive includes full segment as it was originally aired]