As healthcare legislation has now won Congressional approval, much will be written about the strategies employed to grasp this victory from the jaws of the defeat it appeared to facefollowing the election of Scott Brown.

For those of us involved in communicating complex issues, two stategies in particular are worth noting.

The first was the administration’s willingness to engage in a public conversation with its opponents.  When President Obama proposed a healthcare summit meeting in late February, many of his fellow Democrats thought he was crazy.  Why give the Republicans a platform?  Why waste time talking with people who ardently disagree with you?

Obama’s reasoning was sound.  By providing this opportunity, he could make certain that the American people understand the divergent points of view.  Trusting the people is always a good idea.  And engaging your opponents – continuing the conversation – always makes good sense.

His second winning strategy was to personalize the healthcare issue by using the letter he received from Natoma Canfield, an Ohio cancer sufferer who had to choose between making her house payments and continuing her cancer treatments.  Statistics can be numbing.  But personal stories resonate.  And Ms. Canfield’s compelling story transcended much of the dialogue about numbers and put a very human face on this vital issue.

What I like about both of these strategies is that they are neither backhanded nor slippery.  They are straight up and make common sense.  And, they work.