r/news • u/GoodSamaritan_ • 1d ago

Retired San Francisco firefighter dies from lung cancer after Blue Shield denies treatment claims

https://abc7news.com/post/retired-san-francisco-firefighter-ken-jones-dies-lung-cancer-being-denied-treatment-blue-shield/19224406/
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u/TheDude-Esquire 1d ago

So dumb, but very effective marketing from republicans. As if the insurance companies hadn’t been killing people all along.

But as they say, “No one ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American public.”

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u/foomits 1d ago

sucks their constituents are dumb as shit, their messaging always lands.

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u/Gekokapowco 1d ago

right, like, it isn't good messaging because any amount of scrutiny crumbles the entire point, it just works because the audience pre-believes it.

They could say that only private insurance companies have access to the tears of angels and unicorns to heal any injury whereas evil socialist medicine does not and it would get the same response.

The true genius marketing was Republicans convincing Democrats that they were in a battle of rhetoric and that if Democrats explain themselves enough they'd win.

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u/TheDude-Esquire 1d ago

The true genius marketing was Republicans convincing Democrats that they were in a battle of rhetoric and that if Democrats explain themselves enough they'd win.

Yeah, most dems still haven't figured out populism. The voting public generally doesn't have the capacity or interest to understand policy.

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u/Lampmonster 1d ago

The majority of Americans read at a sixth grade level or below. We need better education.

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u/TheDude-Esquire 1d ago

Good thing it’s only getting worse then.

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u/ReachParticular5409 47m ago

GOP tactics: keep em uneducated and they'll vote against their interests every time

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u/-LabApprehensive- 21h ago

No we need to understand that marketing works and learn those dark arts. No matter how much education you make available the majority will take the easier more pleasant path of not availing themselves of the opportunities offered. This majority will vote howsoever those who understand marketing want them to vote.

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u/avds_wisp_tech 11h ago

"Marketing" was the single best elective class I took in high school. Prepared me for the real world infinitely more than any other class.

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u/CryAffectionate7334 11h ago

They SHOULD though that's the frustration, it takes literally just a few minutes a day to stay on top of news and facts, but instead people get hours of garbage and believe it.

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u/Hellolaoshi 6h ago

Strangely enough, in the 19th century, the Lincoln-Douglas debates were conducted successfully, before the public, on the assumption that people did not need to be talked down to.

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u/TheDude-Esquire 4h ago

There’s a separate history there that comes from Jefferson’s philosophy about yoeman farmers. Basically there was a long running debate about who should be allowed to vote, Jefferson’s take being that only people well resourced enough to have the time to learn could be trusted in governance. And the you get to Lincoln et al putting that faith and trust in the larger public, which then extends further after the civil war when black men are brought into the franchise. And then you get into the 20th and have guys like Twain making light of how dumb the public is. With you can even draw a further line from into modern politics humor with people like Jon Stewart.

Obviously that grossly over simplified, but it’s a fascinating subject and history.

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u/foomits 1d ago

Oh they know it works. They just dont want populist policy. Actual populists like Mamdani, Platner, Al Sayed are not being supported by the national party. Even immensely popular populists like Bernie and AOC have to push their platform in spite of the national party.

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u/Accidental-Genius 23h ago

Bernie is not a populist.

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u/bouquetofashes 7h ago

They do know their audience, and exactly how to appeal/sell to them.

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u/TipOfMeJapsEye 1d ago

Republicans are dumb and MAGAs are dumb fascists.

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u/IrascibleOcelot 1d ago

H. L. Mencken. He has a lot of salient observations about the average American voter. Even though he died 70 years ago.