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This brings out a glaring fact, that in reality, the Republicans do not have a majority in Congress. What is incorrectly classified as a majority, is a fragmented collection of moderates, conservatives, fundamentalists and alt-rightists, who do not share much in ideology and as we have just seen, do not join together to vote on all important issues. The only reason they all call themselves republicans, is so they can claim the House Speaker position and that of the Senate Majority Leader.
Too bad they do not have to be regarded as separate parties, as they would be in most other countries. In such places, coalitions have to be formed, to gain political power. That means cooperation and accommodation of varying points of view. Which are things sorely lacking in this country.
Interesting post. I had never really put it in those words before, in my own mind, but you are absolutely right. It kind of brings a whole new meaning to the term "RINO," doesn't it?
I live in a very pro-Trump area in the South and most people had good insurance before. Most people also had good jobs in coal mining and other industries and some in agriculture that have been decimated by the EPA and government overregulation. Obamacare was designed as part of Obama's redistribution of wealth and racial justice philosophy to benefit the inner city and illegal immigrants. These have been the main beneficiaries of Obamacare.
By the way in the past.....my aunt had cancer and her BlueCross plan covered her entire treatment and she still lives a good lower middle class life. People here are blue collar for the most part but we have our pride and dignity, not like the illegals and the people in the ghettos in the big cities thank you very much.
Once NAFTA is renegotiated and once the wall reduces illegal immigration, more Americans will be working and receiving insurance in that manner.
I live in a pro Trump area of the south that did not expand Medicaid.
People here are desperate. The Trump supporters can't see the forest for the trees.
Does your aunt still have her good insurance?
I think part of the problem for Trump is that he won in part largely because many people disliked Hillary a lot more than Trump. In other words, Trumps base isn't large enough. Many republicans voted for him simply because he wasn't Hillary or a democrat. That is perhaps in part why he is seeing that he hasn't had full support of republicans to get this bill passed.
But I do agree, this was Obamacare light. Hindsight, he should have repealed without replace and seen how that was received.
I think Trump needs to keep the economy moving upward, bring jobs back get people back to work and improve their quality of life plus, tax reform. He does that he wins re-election easily. To this point he is on track to do all those things. He is meeting with the right people. Groups are committing money and jobs so we are slowly turning towards the right direction.
Why would Trump reach out to liberals after Chuckie and Nancy said they were going to block him on everything they could?
And look at what happened when Trump relied on the republicans who control government. He thought he had healthcare reform in the bag. But the great thing about our country is that no one will be intimated by our president especially not someone like Trump. I think he has learned the hard way that he need democrats if he wants to get anything done. The freedom caucus won't agree with anything republicans want to do because they are too extreme. So Trump needs democrats to counter act them.
And look at what happened when Trump relied on the republicans who control government. He thought he had healthcare reform in the bag. But the great thing about our country is that no one will be intimated by our president especially not someone like Trump. I think he has learned the hard way that he need democrats if he wants to get anything done. The freedom caucus won't agree with anything republicans want to do because they are too extreme. So Trump needs democrats to counter act them.
Natalie, I have a different version of this same sort of thing. I first said this on November 9th, that the Republicans in congress need to get enough democrats to go with them on issues, to be able to put Trump under control and override his vetoes of legislation they pass. If they give some good concessions to the Democrats, they would join the Moderate Republicans on many measures, especially if the legislation flew right into the face of Trump.
Such a super-majority could also pass measures that would block all or parts of Trump's executive orders that they didn't like. With most things, except treaties and nominations, they could render Trump mostly powerless, if they would just get over themselves and work together a bit.
The power to save their party and neutralize this madman, is sitting there, right in front of them. All they have to do is act sensibly, do some things to benefit the people and reach out and grasp it. The moderates of both parties could form a mutually-beneficial coalition, the way they do in most other democracies. They would be lauded by all except the extremists and the super-rich and regarded as heroes. Re-election chances for all participants, would expand greatly. Kick the so-called, "Freedom Caucus" to the curb. What they really want, is the freedom to deny freedom to many others.
Now, can you imagine what a nice and greatly-improved version of the ACA these congressional coalitions of moderates could produce? Trump would be put out of the picture, by the super-majorities. It might be the best we could have, short of a full, single-payer system. Don't be thinking that I've forgotten how many of these politicians are connected to the gravy-trains of corporations and other sources of big money for themselves. But they have to do some important things with the ordinary people in mind, to survive politically, in spite of those pulling the strings from behind the curtain. And this is one of those things.
Last edited by Steve McDonald; 03-25-2017 at 11:36 PM..
And look at what happened when Trump relied on the republicans who control government. He thought he had healthcare reform in the bag. But the great thing about our country is that no one will be intimated by our president especially not someone like Trump. I think he has learned the hard way that he need democrats if he wants to get anything done. The freedom caucus won't agree with anything republicans want to do because they are too extreme. So Trump needs democrats to counter act them.
It's not just the Freedom Caucus.
With no D votes, every fraction within the R's basically has veto power.
It's hard to pass anything significant when you're stuck in maze with dead ends in all directions.
Natalie, I have a different version of this same sort of thing. I first said this on November 9th, that the Republicans in congress need to get enough democrats to go with them on issues, to be able to put Trump under control and override his vetoes of legislation they pass. If they give some good concessions to the Democrats, they would join the Moderate Republicans on many measures, especially if the legislation flew right into the face of Trump.
Such a super-majority could also pass measures that would block all or parts of Trump's executive orders that they didn't like. With most things, except treaties and nominations, they could render Trump mostly powerless, if they would just get over themselves and work together a bit.
The power to save their party and neutralize this madman, is sitting there, right in front of them. All they have to do is act sensibly, do some things to benefit the people and reach out and grasp it. The moderates of both parties could form a mutually-beneficial coalition, the way they do in most other democracies. They would be lauded by all except the extremists and the super-rich and regarded as heroes. Re-election chances for all participants, would expand greatly. Kick the so-called, "Freedom Caucus" to the curb. What they really want, is the freedom to deny freedom to many others.
Now, can you imagine what a nice and greatly-improved version of the ACA these congressional coalitions of moderates could produce? Trump would be put out of the picture, by the super-majorities. It might be the best we could have, short of a full, single-payer system. Don't be thinking that I've forgotten how many of these politicians are connected to the gravy-trains of corporations and other sources of big money for themselves. But they have to do some important things with the ordinary people in mind, to survive politically, in spite of those pulling the strings from behind the curtain. And this is one of those things.
I agree. I've also been saying it's time for moderate Republicans--and the many rank and file Republicans who have fled the party and are now calling themselves Independents--to step up and take their party back from the fringe elements that have usurped it. Forming a coalition of centrists from both parties to come together and start working to move this country forward is exactly what is needed.
The far right fringe has controlled the GOP since 2010 and it's been detrimental to the entire country. It's time for responsible adult to take control away from these infantile fanatics as well as neutralize the idiot toddler in the White House.
Those concessions were not an outreach to liberals at all.
Trump made them due to the demands of the moderate Republicans in the House.
Few Republicans wanted anything but full repeal until they began hearing from their constituents at town hall meetings and in letters and phone calls. Overwhelmingly, those who have signed up and are using their ACA insurance wanted those items left in whatever replacement the House came up with.
More importantly, the voters wanted a replacement law, not a flat repeal with nothing offered as an alternative.
We aren't talking about illegals or anchor babies here. You are entirely wrong thinking the ghetto and welfare gets the most out of the ACA.
These people are citizens, mostly white, working, middle class, and aren't on welfare.
The welfare cases don't get the ACA anyway, as MedicAid (a Republican law) covers them, especially the anchor babies. They are so poor they can't afford any kind of insurance, and that's one reason Medicaid was created.
"Middle class" is also relative; really a lot of the folks who signed up are in that bracket, but are struggling to stay there or have slipped downward into the Working Poor bracket. The working poor benefit the most from the ACA, along with the elderly and retired folks who are no longer working, but are poor.
The uproar over repeal stunned the Republicans, moderates and right-wing alike. All the Republicans in the House had done nothing for over 7 years expect promise Obamacare would be killed and done away with forever.
It took the Democrats 11 months of hard work and a lot of compromise to create the ACA into a bill that could pass through the House and Senate. Steering the bill was one senior Senator's only job during that time. He knew both Houses like the back of his hand, and everyone knew him.
Thinking that the Republicans could craft a suitable replacement alternative in less than 60 days was sheer arrogance and madness.
The bill they presented was a slapped-together Frankenstein that combined all the worst parts of the old private insurance system- getting cut off when insurance costs passed the cap, and charging the poorest the most in co-pay.
At the same time the bill was overweighted to favor the wealthiest folks, who have largely passed up the ACA because they can afford the gold-plated private plans that cover everything to the max.
Full repeal and starting over from scratch would have been better than that mess, but the voters now want government-subsidized health insurance. Period. Now that millions have it and used it, they want to keep it. That's the bare fact of the matter. So repealing the ACA demanded something better needed to be created.
No Republican wants to face an angry crowd of voters next year who will want to know what happened to their health insurance they now depend on. Every Representative who faces those crowds in 2018 will be asking the people who are spitting mad to hire him again. Please. I promise I'll be smarter if you give me a second chance.
Would you give that guy a second chance? I wouldn't.
And that's why Ryan pulled the bill. The 2018 campaign will start this summer. There's not enough time for the Republicans to come up with a better alternative now. And full repeal will cost a lot of them their jobs if it's tried again.
You may hate the thought of socialized medicine, but it's a fact of life now, just like Social Security. Medical care is never going to revert back to what it once was any more than Social Security will ever be repealed.
You will just have to get used to it. And hope the Republicans can actually show they are compassionate and have the best interests of the working Americans at heart. And then make the ACA a better law instead of making empty promises.
Because if they don't there are some liberals just waiting in the wings who will.
Sadly, I must agree with the entirety of your post... well done!
Quote:
Originally Posted by JAMS14
I agree. I've also been saying it's time for moderate Republicans--and the many rank and file Republicans who have fled the party and are now calling themselves Independents--to step up and take their party back from the fringe elements that have usurped it. Forming a coalition of centrists from both parties to come together and start working to move this country forward is exactly what is needed.
The far right fringe has controlled the GOP since 2010 and it's been detrimental to the entire country. It's time for responsible adult to take control away from these infantile fanatics as well as neutralize the idiot toddler in the White House.
You have perfect clarity of the opposition party while completely ignoring that the Democrat party has been hijacked by Progressive Extremists!
When you can show a balanced view of both parties shortcoming you will become a moderate, until then you are nothing but a partisan shill.
I agree. I've also been saying it's time for moderate Republicans--and the many rank and file Republicans who have fled the party and are now calling themselves Independents--to step up and take their party back from the fringe elements that have usurped it. Forming a coalition of centrists from both parties to come together and start working to move this country forward is exactly what is needed.
The far right fringe has controlled the GOP since 2010 and it's been detrimental to the entire country. It's time for responsible adult to take control away from these infantile fanatics as well as neutralize the idiot toddler in the White House.
💯!
We can't get anything done or hope for compromise with crazies running the asylum.
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