The failure of the Ryancare bill to pass is due to

[MineralMan]

our Constitution. The checks and balances are working overtime these days. Despite Trump's arm-twisting, enough Republicans refused to vote for that bill for various reasons. It did not pass in the House. In fact, it was not even brought to a vote.

Our Constitution gives equal power to all three branches of federal government, and those people serving in each branch are very aware of that, and take great pride in their power. A President can do as he pleases, but if he does not convince, he can do little. And, as President Trump has learned, either of the other two branches of government can thwart his nefarious plans.

A single federal judge can lay waste to a President's executive order, as Trump has learned twice already during his short tenure as President. Members of Congress and Senators can, and will, vote differently that one expects, as Trump learned when the ACA repeal and replace bill failed to get enough votes in the House, despite Trump's whining, cajoling and strong-arm tactics.

Our constitutional representative democratic republic may stumble its way along in history, but its carefully designed provisions prevent it from going completely off the rails in most cases. The founders, in their wisdom, were keen students of human nature, and included protections against a tyrannical President who did not have the good of the nation in mind.

If you haven't read the Constitution of the United States for a while, I highly recommend another reading of that document. Governance is difficult. It can be clumsy and erratic at times. The authors of the Constitution knew that, and wrote our founding document in a way that helps keep the nation on a more or less even keel, even in difficult times.

[Sgent]

1. I've already heard calls for Trump

to go Andrew Jackson on the Judiciary and ignore their upending of his executive orders re immigration. If he did that, do you really think this congress will impeach him?

Constitutions are great documents, but they are not infallible, ask Germany, or France. The UK has done relatively well without one.

[beachbum bob]

2. crossing the line on court orders and having a disinterested congress will kill them in 2018

just saying

[LakeArenal]

3. fingers crossed...

[KingCharlemagne]

5. The UK has an "unwritten" constitution. - nt

[Sgent]

7. So do we

to a large extent -- its called common law. I just finished a political (vs military) history of the revolution and the first twenty years of our country, and a huge part of what we consider law is tradition. There is no law that SCOTUS must follow stare decisis, its tradition. Tradition allows the courts to overturn legislative and executive action, but until Marbury v Madison it wasn't in the constitution.

The executive and congressional portions of our government are also bound up in this tradition. 8 years stood the test of time until FDR, and now is enshrined. Is that good or bad -- the British would say bad since it can't be changed, and maybe they are right (see Obama for a 3rd term).

[wishstar]

4. Congress has elections in less than 2 years- so those town hall protests mattered

[guillaumeb]

6. Key words:

prevent it from going completely off the rails in most cases.

[MineralMan]

8. I try not to make sweeping statement that don't

allow for exception. I can think of many such exceptions in our country's history, and some of them occurred during Democratic administrations. Over the long term, though, it works pretty well.