Why does anyone think any Senate Republicans will vote for stripped down health care measures?

[Teaser]

This is for Olympia Snowe, but it applies equally to any R senator.



It would seem to me, if I were Olympia Snowe, that the choice with outcomes ABC is better than the choice with outcomes 123, in terms of maximizing my power.

[BeyondGeography]

1. It's more about exposing their asses, which is easier to do with targeted legislation

A political game, yes, but that's what we're playing here.

[Teaser]

2. But it doesn't expose their asses.

it doesn't. They are in a safe position. They are pretty much at the absolute minimum of their caucus size. You won't dislodge them from their districts: they are safe districts for them. That's the point of the Electoral Prospects column.

Secondly, I'm not sure it's a good idea to sacrifice insurance for ~30,000,000 people because we want to win a game (that a simple game theoretic analysis indicates we are unlikely to win).

[BeyondGeography]

3. It has been reduced to a game

We don't have the votes for UHC; piecemealing the legislation is Plan B...where have you been?

[Teaser]

4. We have the votes if people start thinking logically

instead of emoting. I know that asks a lot of our legislators.

And I think you don't address the first point: how does your strategy expose a minority that cannot be reduced further? They have nothing to lose.

[grytpype]

5. This is why passing and patching the Senate bill is the only option.

Because it's already passed the Senate. It's done, it's in the bag.

Anything that requires passing another cloture vote in the Senate is an impossibility now.

If Obama is counting on the Republicans to save him we're fucked.

[timeforpeace]

6. Make it worse and expect them to now vote for something they all voted against?