By Lee Pfeiffer
The fine line between politics and show business has been blurred once again - and this time involves an icon of retro pop culture. The Obama administration has enlisted a heavyweight talent to promote changes in America's health care laws that they say will add immeasurably to benefits for senior citizens. Andy Griffith, the 84 year-old comedy legend, appears in the ad, speaking directly to seniors and assuring them that the changes coming will aid them substantially. For the benefit of our many non-US readers, some context may be needed as to why the Obama administration would think that a social medical program for senior citizens would need defending by a high profile entertainer. The cause extends back to last summer's contentious debates over the President's health care bill, which was ultimately approved by the slimmest of margins. Many aspects of Obama's health care plan don't kick in until 2014,
though some benefits such as prohibiting insurance companies from
dropping children with pre-existing conditions have already been put in
place. During the height of the debates, Sarah Palin warned seniors that the plan would ultimately result in older citizens having to appear before "death panels" that would judge whether they qualified for life-saving medical treatments. Most prominent Republican officials quickly distanced themselves from this notion and the White House initially deferred comment, thinking the very idea was too absurd to respond to. However, Palin's tactics proved successful and even today, millions of seniors are convinced they will have to appear before a "death panel". Hence, the Obama administration's enlistment of the folksy Griffith to allay fears about the new health plan. Griffith doesn't get political in the spot and doesn't address any controversies, opting instead to tell seniors that their coverage will be enhanced. However, the ad is stirring up a hornet's nest among conservatives who say the administration has inappropriately spent $700,000 on what they regard as a propaganda campaign. The White House is dismissing calls to remove the spots from the air. (Griffith was not paid for his appearance.)
Opponents of Obama's health care plans cite concerns that they could bankrupt the nation, given the size of the federal deficit. The White House counters that America is the only remaining industrialized nation that doesn't provide basic health care for its citizens and points out that 50 million Americans are currently uninsured. The debate would seemingly be far removed from the realm of show business, but over the decades, it has involved many celebrities from both sides of the political spectrum. Last year, Chuck Norris was among conservative stars who publicly denounced the health care overhaul, saying it represented "big government" intrusion on the private sector. On the other hand, liberals have dusted off a 1961 radio spot by Ronald Reagan (then an actor and political activist) in which he warned of disastrous consequences if the Medicare plan was enacted. A few
years later, Medicare was implemented and when Reagan was sworn in as
President in 1981, the program was so popular that he not only didn't try to repeal it, but enthusiastically supported it. Reagan's early opposition to Medicare was viewed
as a rare political misstep for a man who went on to be one of the most
popular presidents in modern history. Conservatives counter that the correlation to the current debate is unjustified, since Obama's plan would mandate that all Americans purchase health insurance, albeit with the aid of government subsidies. No matter where you stand on the issue, the health care debate represents yet another bizarre blending of Hollywood and politics - to the point where two acting icons (one a deceased former President) are being enlisted to win hearts and minds of the public. To view the Griffith TV spot click here. To listen to the Reagan spot click here.