Yes, rational debate is being shut down. Cui bono?
Look at some major supporters of 'Obama's reform.' Insurance companies and drug companies are spending and budgeting large amounts for ads (and for astroturfed organizations) supporting it.
Those companies have means and opportunity to do their homework and find out what is likely to actually be in the bill. They have motive to maximize their own profits, protect their own investors.
So -- if they're supporting Obama's bill -- is it likely to be real 'reform'? Or is it more likely a placebo, an opiate for the populists, a cowpox to vaccinate the nation against any REAL reform getting passed?
To keep the Left from looking at the issues, at what the bill is likely to include -- and to keep us from lobbying for things like a strong public option, continuing to allow drug imports from Canada, not cutting Medicare, etc ... we're kept distracted with accounts of the far out fringe of conservatives. If some Bad Rightwing Nuts are against the bill, the implication is, then the bill must be a Good Leftist Bill. Annoy a Wingnut: support Obamacare.
I'd rather annoy an insurance company by QUESTIONING the bill.
Look what's happening. We hear lots of people out shouting that the bill is socialized medicine, is far left, etc. So us Leftists, believing them, are supporting it without factchecking. Do we believe anything else the Right-Wing-Nuts claim? Why believe they are right about this, either?
Could the Reality Based Community please try Reality Basing our reaction, here?
