Somewhere, right now, and some high school somewhere in the world, a teacher has flicked off the lights, and booted up a PowerPoint presentation. And in five minutes, at least half of that class, without fail, will probably be asleep.
Such was the case when House Speaker Paul Ryan wheeled out a PowerPoint presentation on Thursday to get Americans to pay attention to his healthcare plan. He didn't turn out the lights, but given the effect, he might as well have.
Ryan looks like your average high school math teacher, and—in accordance with the law of student relationship to their high school math teachers—it's easier for most students to just make fun of whatever he's doing than to pay attention.
That said? A decent number of folks actually did pay attention to the presentation, and their response was...to question whether their teacher should be teaching.
Paul Ryan says insurance can't work if healthy must pay more to subsidize the sick. But this is exactly what happens in every employer plan.
— Jonathan Cohn (@CitizenCohn) March 9, 2017
I ... I ... I have a hard time saying this but I think it's possible that Paul Ryan doesn't understand what insurance is. https://t.co/Tf96fuZggX
— Jeet Heer (@HeerJeet) March 9, 2017
so many problems with American politics are revealed by the enduring notion that Paul Ryan is smart
— Brandy Jensen (@BrandyLJensen) March 9, 2017
.@SpeakerRyan energetic pitch belies this: His health plan would hike bills 4 older Americans & low inc workers & cost millions coverage.
— David Axelrod (@davidaxelrod) March 9, 2017
I just want someone to look at me the way Paul Ryan looks at taking away sick people's healthcare so rich people can get tax breaks.
— Randi Mayem Singer (@rmayemsinger) March 9, 2017
Ryan's detractors believe that this particular math lesson may cost millions of Americans their healthcare. Here's hoping his calculator's working correctly.