For years now, I've been making the argument - right here on this site - that Republicans never really want to repeal ObamaCare. Oh sure, there are a few genuine free market conservatives (folks like Lee, Cruz, Paul, etc) who do, but the majority want it to remain. They love its taxes, they love its brand of government expansionism, and if I'm being completely honest, there are a lot of them who love the fact that it paves the way for single payer. In short, they talk a good game about shrinking the bureaucratic beast, but they secretly adore federal power.
That's why they never had an ObamaCare replacement ready. They thought Hillary would win, and they were perfectly comfortable twiddling their thumbs while they waited for what they believed was the inevitable resurrection of HillaryCare. Single payer was going to happen, they wouldn't have to shoulder the blame, and they could pretend they were outraged.
It was easy to say they were against it if there was no danger that they'd have to do anything. So, they ran on a platform of repealing ObamaCare - in multiple elections spanning 6 years - and much to their chagrin, it actually worked. Now, they're expected to do something ...and they hate it.
You can tell they hate it because, after voting to repeal the ACA over 40 times, they're steadfastly refusing to do so now. When it didn't matter, they were all for it. Now, things have changed. With President Trump in the White House, a repeal vote will carry genuine weight, and the congressional cowards have chosen to take the wind out of their own sails.
Whatever measures they've offered have been an array of half-steps designed to create the illusion that they've followed through on Mitch McConnel's "root and branch" promises. The "repeal and replace" bills we've seen thus far have kept intact much of what makes ObamaCare such a nightmare while doing nothing to lower costs. ACA taxes, mandates, and over-regulation have made it into each GOP lead effort, making observers wonder - once again - if they really want the bill gone at all.
Now, with Mitch McConnell's latest "repeal and replace" failure, it feels like we've come to the end of the road. The effort to "replace" is clearly dead in the water. McConnell has been dragged, kicking and screaming, into scheduling a vote on a straight repeal.
All those Senators who lined up behind meaningless repeal votes, over and over again, will be forced to show their true stripes.
Sadly, it looks like those stripes are probably yellow. I think this vote terrifies Senate members, and right now it's headed for failure. I think Mitch McConnell believes this too, and I suspect part of him thinks "You want straight repeal? Fine. Here's what that looks like, you ingrates."
I wouldn't doubt that it brings a wicked little smile to his face.
It shouldn't. The straight repeal vote is the last chance for Republicans to save the GOP. If it goes down in flames (and the early word is there are only 10-20 Senators willing to support it) the party will go down in flames with it.
If the people who've been running on "repeal" for the last 6 years can't bring themselves to follow through on such a basic, rudimentary, promise, there will be no reason for the base to ever again trust or support the GOP. It's as simple as that. No Conservative will ever view the Republican Party as "home" on the heels of such a betrayal.
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Repeal, or resign yourselves to the end of your political viability
Without that support, Republicans are done. Whatever movement they may have embodied will have been utterly gutted by failure, incompetence, and fecklessness. Nothing - and I mean nothing - will alienate the GOP base like a refusal to rid the nation of Barack Obama's signature boondoggle. When the base stays home or goes third party, the opposing party always takes the brass ring.
So, if the GOP wants to avoid becoming a permanent zombie party, they'd better get their ducks in a row. It's do or die time.
Repeal, or resign yourselves to the end of your political viability.
