This is interesting, from Nate Silver about Dems voting for Obamacare before the 2010 midterms.....

[a kennedy]

May 4
Nate Silver @NateSilver538
Academic studies found that Dem. incumbents who voted for Obamacare lost 10-15 points of vote margin in the 2010 midterms. A massive effect.

[Freddie]

2. Interesting theory about a wave election

Supposedly the conditions are right for a "wave election" next year. 2010 was the last one with mass anger about the ACA (idiots). The one before that was 2006 - a blue wave - mass anger at GWB's attempt to privatize SS. Here's hoping that the atrocious AHCA is enough to build mass anger against the Repugs.

[delisen]

3. Thanks for the info-The ACA vote seems to have led

to Democratic Party losses that weakened us. Possibly losses became "institutionalized" because the 2010 losses affected the crucial ten year redistricting-allowing gerrymandering by Republicans in more than one state and making it less likely Democrats could re-group.

I think that passage of the ACA has withstood the test of time and has provided a springboard to total and more efficient coverage, such as a single payer plan. The negative was the legislative and state offices loses-but I think it had been in our power to prevent a lot of the losses.

Republicans know they can't win on the level playing field. The standard tilts they used were 1. blowing sand in our eyes - propaganda techniques of misinformation, disinformation, and lies

2. suppression of rights including barriers to voting reminiscent of Jim Crow days

3. gerrymandering districts

4. representing only the richest segments of society-

5. use of legislative mills to introduce similiar repressive legislation in many states

6. exploitation of rifts in the electorate.

In short, they operate in bad faith and that has made it easier for them to win.

[Freddie]

4. And thanks to structural things

Beyond our control - gerrymandering, the EC, the nature of the Senate - we Dems have to win by a huge majority (60% or more) to actually win.