United Liberty

President Barack Obama may need a crisis in order to put the momentum in the health care debate back in his corner:

President Barack Obama returns to Washington next week in search of one thing that can revive his health-care overhaul: a sense of crisis.

Facing polls showing a drop in his approval, diminished support from independents, factions within his Democratic Party and a united Republican opposition, Obama must recapture the sense of urgency that led to passage of the economic rescue package in February, analysts said.

“At the moment, except for the people without insurance, we’re not in a health-care crisis,” said Stephen Wayne, a professor of government at Georgetown University in Washington. “You do need a crisis to generate movement in Congress and to help build a consensus.”

Earlier this year, we saw the public over-react to the H1N1 virus (swine flu). With fall and winter coming up, we’re already starting to hear estimates of tens of thousands of deaths.

We know that politicians will use a potential threat to shift public and perception into what they want politically. Rahm Emanuel, Obama’s Chief of Staff, has already made it clear that “you never want a serious crisis to go to waste.”