Discussion for article #222118
The GOPTP is going to regret labeling the ACA as “Obamacare”. As more and more people enroll, more and more people will realize they like it, want it, and need it. Hence, this popular program will FOREVER be linked to the man they attempted to demonize. haha.
We Democrats can help them regret it by calling it Obamacare long after his Presidency is over.
I fervently hope that Democrats will wake up and start acting like Democrats. This ACA is the ONE thing Democrats have delivered on because of the obstruction in all other areas. Why not go to a town hall, or a debate and ask:
What do you want to get rid of:
- Staying on parents’ insurance policies until the age of 26? This covers roughly 6 million people who would otherwise not be covered…
- Pre-existing conditions coverage? I know that this is one of the sticking points for those who already have insurance covered by employers, but remember that every single person (and his/her children) is one diagnosis away from a pre-existing condition exclusion. High blood pressure? Diabetes? Depression? These are the very conditions that get WORSE (read more expensive) without routine care.
- Ending spending caps? Have a premature baby and find out what getting rid of this exclusion means to average families.
This is what they have to push. And when they get the push-back of how much it will cost, answer with the FACTS: This is going to save money; repealing it would cost us.
As to not accepting expansion of Medicaid for people who fall between the current Medicaid cut-off and the ACA bottom level: the excuse that republicans use that even though it will cost the state zero initially, and eventually only 10% – they just don’t believe the feds will continue with what they promised – well, just ask them if they would personally turn down $1000 this year and subsequent years only because they were afraid it wouldn’t continue.
Agreed. The two smartest things Democratic voters can do is to continue to call it Obamacare and, of course, vote. I always envision an elderly Obama out on the campaign trail in, say, Texas in 2030 stumping for a Democrat in tough reelection or close election to defeat a GOP incumbent. I imagine him saying something like, “The Republicans say they’re going to protect Obamacare. Well, I’m Obama, the law’s named after me because I’m the president who signed it. So, let me tell you what those Republicans did to keep Obamacare from you…” This is a torch that Malia and Sasha can pick up after he’s too old to do it or gone on to the next life. Why in the world would we give that up?
BTW, Michael Steele, as in former RNC chairman, was just on TV exclusively referring to Obamacare as “the ACA” and saying he didn’t think touting Obamacare repeal alone would win the Senate.
O< Quack! Quack! … C​VilleDem…
Great to see a friendly long time TPM friend from way way back…
Just yesterday I posted the following over in the TPM Prime/Hive threads.
Positive Effects… Bottom line . . .
The following line is what should be touted…
20.6 million more people have
stable health care coverage.
Its not only the 7.5 million who signed up for Qualified Health Plans in the market places, but also the 13.1 million of those who acquired policies through direct purchase of private Qualified Health Plans, plus Medicaid/CHIP, in addition to young adults through their parents’ employers plans.
All told that’s … 20.6 million.
~OGD~
Interesting info in this article . . .
Now if only this translates into picking off those “most competitive” seats in those red districts.
GOTV!
~OGD~
That was fast. If they are leaning this way so soon it is an even bigger mess for the GOP than we hoped. Everything Republicans do backfires in their angry faces.
I’m really, really frustrated with the administration for not touting the TOTAL Obamacare numbers. I realize they don’t necessarily have exact figures for the rest of those metrics (sub26ers, direct purchase) but they DO have the Medicaid numbers. I hope in the coming weeks there will be a big announcement in which they announce the total numbers. Much of the opposition has been about negative media reporting and the bandwagon effect. If they keep putting positive information out there, they can continue to move these numbers into positive territory. As the numbers move, it’ll force skittish Democrats to run with Obamacare and it will force Republicans to further rely on social issues.
Pretty soon they’ll start campaigning on repealing Obamacare and replacing it with the Affordable Care Act. Which they will tout as a originating from the Heritage Foundation.
I think they will when they feel the time is ripe.
Don’t think Republicans will wanna talk about Obamacare in 2030. Hope I live long enough to see it for myself. I don’t just assume that anymore. Tim Russert’s death in 2008 was an eye-opener for me. He was only 58.
Good! I absolutely hated to see Tim pass, and I’m glad it was an eye-opener for so many folks. I was heartened in the aftermath of his death when so many at MSNBC were saying everyone needed to take better care of themselves and look out for one another.
OT: Man, aside from a national tragedy like 9/11, the immediate hours after Tim’s death were some of the most gutwrenching and painful I’ve ever witnessed on TV. So many of them were just losing it on TV. I think it was then that I really fell in love with Keith Olbermann because he was barely hanging on yet he made it through that night.
More or less, Obamacare is Obamacare.
Hey, OGD! Good to see you too. I am mainly a lurker at this point; just don’t feel like jumping into the fray the way I used to, but this topic (and a few others) spurred me to share my thoughts. Thanks for the 20.6 million number; I prefer to write it as 20,600,000 because it gives a little more gravitas to how this law has done so much good for so many. Is it what we originally wanted? No, but that could not have happened with this Congress. I’ll settle for OBAMACARE, and we should all keep calling it that to rub it in the likes of Ted Cruz’ face as it gets more and more popular.