August 27, 2008 
I will admit that I have been a closet democrat for years although that may finally be changing. I have watched about 15 minutes of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) this year and can’t seem to get motivated. I get so turned off by selling “hope”. Are you kidding?
Working in the communication field, I find that a desperation play. Imagine calling sick patients and telling them that they don’t like being sick so they should try doing something different that you “hope” will make them better. Just because the economy is bad and people are unhappy doesn’t mean that any path will make things better. People want a defined path with data to support it being better.
Otherwise, would this be like the Sports Illustrated cover effect where the athlete that is featured on the cover under-performs in subsequent months. In business speak, we would call this regression to the mean meaning that over time people perform at the mean value and can’t always over-perform. (I am sure someone will correct my use of statistical terms here.)
There are lots of things we can fix in this country, but simply a message about them being broken so trying something different isn’t enough…for me at least.
Enabling Healthy Decisions 
George,
You wrote I know you won’t accept this statement outright, but my work with the PATH type model offers this very thing. Consistent with social cognitive theory, PATH type identifies unconscious patterns of thinking and perceptions within individuals that shape their view of themselves, family, and the health care environment. One unconscious pattern exists in about 14% of adults in the U.S. and generates more spending than any other. If we could reduce the presence of that one pattern in adults by one percent, health care spending would go down about $5 billion a year. The money being spent on technology and gadgets and environmental engineering will not do what needs to be done. Because the answer is not around us, it is within us!