Dr. Obama’s Health Reform and the “Public Option” Cheese Shop

Last night as I put the elder Virtus child to bed, we looked at her stack of four Berenstain Bear books. In a rare display of 3-year-old magnanimity, she told me, “Daddy, you pick the story.” So I picked up the copy of Old Hat, New Hat and delightfully suggested, “Let’s read this one.” A bare second passed before little pale fingers reached instead for Bears in the Night, as she insisted, “No, let’s read this one.” And so, naturally, we discarded all talk of headwear and instead followed the little bears through the dark up Spook Hill to the hooting owl and back.

Before we began the story, however, the thought struck me: The scenario was an apt metaphor for the Obama Care “public option” … “Why yes, Mr. DeGrow, you can choose from among these insurance plans” … “Terrific, I’ll go for that one” … “Sorry, I think you meant to select the ‘public option’ over here” … “Oh, I see, not really much of a choice, is it?”

Or, play along with me, maybe the Obama Care “public option” is a lot like the famous Monty Python cheese shop sketch:

Here’s the analogy as I see it:
Cheese Shop = Obama Care
John Cleese = John Q Taxpayer
Michael Palin = Dr. Obama
The annoying bouzouki band = Democrat leaders in Congress
Red Leicester, Tilsit, Caerphilly, Bel Pease, Stilton, Norwegian Jarlsberg, et al. = Your available private health insurance and medical provider options
Ilchester, Limburger (take your pick) = The “public option”
“It’s staggeringly popular in this manor, squire” = “It’s what the fawning throngs at ACORN, SEIU, and MSNBC love to talk about”
“It’s not much of a cheese shop, really, is it?” = “It’s not much of a health insurance market, really, is it?”
“SHUT THAT BLOODY BOUZOUKI UP!” = “Why don’t you read the bill? … Why won’t you put yourself on the same health plan?”, etc.
“No, sir, not a scrap. I was deliberately wasting your time, sir” = “Get ready for single-payer, suckers.”
“Well, I’m sorry, but I’m going to have to shoot you” = “Sorry, Mr. President, but we’re going to have to vote you and your party out of office”

The analogy made sense to me, anyway. For something more on point, be sure to check out the Independence Institute’s new health reform video. Or read the excellent piece by Fortune editor Shawn Tully highlighted over at Newsbusters.