One Of My Repub Neighbors - Staunch Repub - Fought Against ACA & Eventually Bought Into It Says.....

[global1]

about today's ruling on ACA - that if they try and take away his healthcare insurance he's gotten for his family through ACA - that he'll lead the charge to make sure a Repub never gets elected again.

Here's a guy that voted for Dubya both times. He's worked for the Party to elect state officials. He was against ACA (Obamacare). Then he checked into it cause he lost his coverage through his employer because he lost his job. He found a plan to insure his whole family - himself, his wife, two boys and two girls in college. He found a plan that is better than he ever had from his employer - and now he is one of the biggest advocates for ACA (Obamacare) that I know. He talks it up every chance he gets. When he heard that because of one of today's rulings that his healthcare is in trouble - he went ballistic against the Repubs and said if they try and take it away from him - he'll fight them by getting out the vote for the Dems in November. He now wants a Congress that is favorable to ACA so that he can keep his coverage.

What I learned is that this is a very volatile issue. It looks to be firing up the electorate and if I were a Repub in Congress now - I'd be worried. Again they are on the wrong side of this - and this is one issue that can really rally the troops against them.

So fellow DU'ers - talk this up. This is another one of those issues that the Repubs have fumbled the ball with and think they are still being cute by wanting to sink ACA (Obamacare). Unfortunately - it looks like this could backfire on them big time cause if may get out many of the 8million ACA insured people that signed up and are very happy and now feel protected by it.

I'm curious if anyone else has heard similar comments from ACA (Obamacare) insured.

[dballance]

1. THAT is exactly what the ReThugs were so afraid of!!!

They were right to be afraid. The whole "private is better than government" when it comes to public services like infrastructure and health care meme is beginning to crumble.

We're on our way to single-payer now. I can't wait to see how the VT plan turns out.

[merrily]

2. Please report back to us on all his anti-Republican activities, besides talk.

What the fuck is he waiting for?


ACA did not get a single Republican vote and it's been clear from Day One that Republicans have opposed it. For just one example, I lost count of how many votes the House took to repeal ACA.

So, what the fuck is your neighbor waiting for? If Democrats succeed in fending off the many Republican attacks of all kinds on his beloved ACA, is that any reason for him to stick with Republicans? No, of course not. So, what is he waiting for?


November is coming soon. What does he imagine will happen if Republicans win control of both houses this November?If he wants to lead an attack to protect the ACA, THIS is the time.

So, I call bs on your neighbor. I hope he proves me wrong, but he'd best get going if he wants to do that, or to save ACA.

[global1]

4. Look - That Is What I Kinda Said To Him.....

I'm just relaying what I heard from him today and passing it on here. The point being is that Repub voters are finally getting the message and are turning on their party. Others that I know are upset about other issues the Repubs are on the wrong side of.

That's why I can't believe that the Repubs are so secure and smug with maintaining the House and taking the Senate. Their own constituency seems to be turning on them.

Now I don't know if Boehner & McConnell are getting that message there up on Capitol Hill. Are they getting that message and trying to fake that everything is ok or are they just ignoring that message from their constituency and still proceeding on this path to self destruction?

I mentioned in an earlier post that I don't believe the MSM when they say that the Repubs will maintain the House and have a chance at taking the Senate. How could they be in such a good position - when they are on the wrong side of just about every major issue?

[merrily]

6. Good for you. That is what you should have said to him.

I don't know if Boehner & McConnell are getting that message there up on Capitol Hill.

Of course, they know Americans want health care for their families. They are not even saying anymore that they will simply repeal ACA. They are saying they will repeal it in order to replace it with a Republican health care plan, whatever the hell that is, apart from dying outside an emergency room door if you don't have health insurance. If that is their intent, repeal should not be a stand alone vote, but should be accompanied by this so far mythological "Republican health care plan."

But that is not what their big donors want.

IMO, we delude ourselves when we assume that it takes some kind of effort to inform politicians that the American people want peace, jobs, affordable health care, affordable educations for their kids, affordable housing, justice for banksters, etc.

THEY KNOW. THEY HAVE ALWAYS KNOWN.

[roguevalley]

3. there are 20 million people out there who will lose their insurance if this gets out of

hand. it will be a disaster for the pigs. My sister has just been granted her new prosthetic leg. it is killer to a life to be so vulnerable to capricious bullshit. You should never have to know it. I will joint this guy. It is the deal breaker for people who never knew they had one.

[area51]

5. Notice what it took for him to change his mind:

only when he personally benefited from it. And from what you've said, it still doesn't sound like he has empathy for anyone else who needs health care. Typical republinazi --- fsck everyone else. That's not going to help GingrichCare much.

[global1]

7. I Guess If He's Going To Work Against The Repubs - Whether He Has Empathy For Anyone Else Or Not....

I can overlook. If he can turn some of his other Repub friends against his Party - all the more power to him.

I feel we'll make a convert out of him sooner or later.

[freshwest]

25. Very glad to hear of a GOP political activist seeing the light who'll fight for ACA, no matter why!

He might even see the wisdom of UHC in time! This is a very encouraging post to read this morning! Thanks for posting it!

[Skittles]

8. that is typical republican behavior

f*** "THOSE" people, until they themselves become one of THOSE people

[truebluegreen]

12. It's always that way.

Conservatives are characterized by a near total lack of empathy for other people, specifically other people who are not like them.

They never "get it" until "it" bites their own sorry asses.

[Max power]

9. Another convert

That only flipsides when the issues personally affected him

[Kali]

20. nothing wrong with that

sometimes people are slow to realize things, worse is when they can't even see at all.

[Max power]

32. Of course there something wrong with that

It Makes him a selfish asshole

[Laelth]

10. k&r for exposure. n/t

-Laelth

[Romulox]

11. Republican *likes* the health plan developed by Mitt and Heritage! nt

[tridim]

14. No, the ACA was not "developed" by Mitt Romney and Heritage.

Why are you fighting against our signature victory?

[Romulox]

15. Of course it was. It's called "Romneycare" in Massachusetts. It's just a fact. nt

[tridim]

16. The ACA was developed by Obama and the Democrats. Romneycare was developed by Romney.

Dense much?

The ACA is popular with the people and you're still fighting it. Why?

[Romulox]

17. They are essentially the same plan. Rewriting history doesn't help. It's ridiculous. nt

[tridim]

18. That's not what you claimed.

You said the ACA was "developed by Romney and Heritage".

Spin it all away upside-down flag dude.

[Orsino]

21. Splitting hairs is not helpful.

Many or most high-profile Dems right ip to the president have also pointed out that Obamacare is Romneycare writ large.

[tridim]

24. Words mean things, so yes, splitting hairs is extremely important.

Especially with today's media and GOP setting their own reality.

They don't need Romulox's help.

[progressoid]

23. You can trace it back to Richard Nixon.

Nixon proposed today’s Affordable Care Act

In February 1974, Republican President Richard Nixon proposed, in essence, today’s Affordable Care Act. Under Nixon’s plan all but the smallest employers would provide insurance to their workers or pay a penalty, an expanded Medicaid-type program would insure the poor, and subsidies would be provided to low-income individuals and small employers. Sound familiar?

Private insurers were delighted with the Nixon plan but Democrats preferred a system based on Social Security and Medicare, and the two sides failed to agree.

Thirty years later a Republican governor, Mitt Romney, made Nixon’s plan the law in Massachusetts. Private insurers couldn’t have been happier although many Democrats in the state had hoped for a public system.

When today’s Republicans rage against the individual mandate in the Affordable Care Act, it’s useful to recall this was their idea as well.

http://www.salon.com/2013/10/29/nixon_proposed_todays_affordable_care_act_partner/

Here is Richard Nixon - Special Message to the Congress on Health Care.
March 2, 1972
http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=3757

"I shall propose a sweeping new program that will assure comprehensive health-insurance protection to millions of Americans who cannot now obtain it or afford it, with vastly improved protection against catastrophic illnesses," he told America.

Nixon said his plan would build on existing employer-sponsored insurance plans and would provide government subsidies to the self-employed and small businesses to ensure universal access to health insurance. He said it wouldn't create a new federal bureaucracy.

Read more here: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2007/11/28/22163/democrats-health-plans-echo-nixons.html#storylink=cpy

[Tracer]

26. Nobody here refers to it as "Romneycare". No one.

n/t

[Blue_Adept]

28. Does anyone refer to it at all anymore?

I mean, it got its play and minor controversy when it went into effect years ago. But even then, it didn't to me seem like a huge deal.

Besides, calling it Romneycare when it was developed by the legislature and they had how many overrides on him over the year means it's more of a democratic plan at this point anyway.

[Orsino]

31. Yes. We are almost as embarrassed about it as Mitt. n/t

[Orangepeel]

13. Did you tell him they have tried to take it away dozens of times?

I lost count, but t was over 60 times that the house voted t repeal it. They all ran against it.

[stillwaiting]

19. If they "try" to take ACA away from him?

That's ALL they've been doing the past few years. He's completely detached from what's happening in this country if he doesn't realize that THAT is the Republicans #1 agenda. If they get enough power they will overturn it.

I have no idea how he could possibly entertain voting for Republicans if he feels that strongly about it. He should already be at the place where he KNOWS he's going to be fighting the Republicans. There is no ambiguity here.

[Orsino]

22. +1 n/t

[samsingh]

27. maybe he needs to do that anyway

[johnlucas]

29. I LOVE it! Hopefully he also questions why he became so staunch to Republican Party

People are habit-based creatures & if you have been doing something a long enough time you tend to keep on doing it.
He has been voting Republican so long & identifying with Republicans so long that he might not even realize why he's so staunch.
Then reality seeps through & he breaks a little of his staunchness.

No person in his/her right mind would reject an ADVANTAGE of Civilization.
One of those advantages is a high-quality & affordable health care system.
He was dumb & blind because he was comfortable before.
When things got uncomfortable then he made the switch.
Reality seeps in only when it happens to him. But hey whatever it takes as long as reality gets through.
#1 rule is that People Are Selfish. Part of the biological programming.

But now as hard as he fought against it, he became won over & will now fight as hard FOR it.
That's his way to atone for supporting these jackass Republicans like George W. Bush & company.

Gotta give credit to Obama & the Democrats on this one.
They made a politically smart move using this plan instead of going straight for single-payer.
It neutralized Romney the expected 2012 Republican frontrunner because he can't run against something he enacted as Governor.
It kept the insurance companies from fighting them since it would deliver more people to their insurance rolls.
It would win over the detractors in its subtlely changing form getting them used to National Health Care as a human right.
It would cause the Republicans to back off of their own Heritage Group plan (designed only as a political counter to Hillary's plan in the 1990s) because they can't be seen to be in agreement with Obama.
That would cause them to fight it like a madman & ENSURE that parts of their base will split with them on this issue.
By not fighting it would surely split them with other parts of their base.

All of this set to take place AFTER Obama's 2nd term was guaranteed AND RIGHT BEFORE the 2014 mid-term elections.
April to November is 7 months. That's time enough for people to get used to the plan & enjoy it.
By the time you get to November those splits will show up & you lose what little power you had in government before.
Once THAT happens, one by one those holdout Governors will concede to hold on to their spot.
A relative in Kentucky talking about how good Obamacare is to her relative in Georgia & eventually the Georgia resident will demand that same Obamacare.
Let the Governor say no & see what happens.
Between 2014 & 2016 is 2 whole years. By that time nobody is seriously going to oppose Obamacare.
After awhile people will want improvements to Obamacare & that leads into the conversation about single-payer.

A longer road to get to it but this stop-gap measure known as Obamacare was just the trick needed to get it.
MUCH better than a wholesale shutdown like in the 1990s.

The Republicans are like Yosemite Sam & Obama is like Bugs Bunny.
And Bugs Bunny always makes a fool out of Yosemite Sam before the end of the picture.
John Lucas

[JNelson6563]

30. Well said!

Julie