# What is the GOP's endgame with the American Healthcare Act? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [March 10, 2017, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-gops-endgame-with-the-american-healthcare-act/781904 "2017-03-10T21:20:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![drossbots](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/cdc98d/32.png) [@drossbots](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drossbots)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2017, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-gops-endgame-with-the-american-healthcare-act/781904/1 "2017-03-10T21:20:45Z")
I’ve been running this question through my head since this was plan was first announced, and I just can’t think of an answer. At first glance, it appears that almost everyone hates it. Democrats hate it for obvious reasons. Some Republicans hate it for being “Obamacare-lite”. Constituents have voiced their opposition to ACA repeal at town halls.The AMA, AARP, and AHA have all come out against it, and I’m sure there are many more groups I’m forgetting. I’m sure many Republican donors like it, but I don’t think there are enough of them to protect the GOP from a voter revolt. Worst of all for them, the Republicans basically have complete power and can blame no one for the potential fallout of this bill but themselves. So why push it with such vigor? I welcome all answers. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2017, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-gops-endgame-with-the-american-healthcare-act/781904/2 "2017-03-10T21:40:39Z")
> [@drossbots](#): > > Constituents have voiced their opposition to ACA repeal at town halls. Town halls are not representative. If people were substantially opposed to ACA repeal they wouldn’t have elected a Republican controlled House and Senate and Trump. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2017, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-gops-endgame-with-the-american-healthcare-act/781904/3 "2017-03-10T21:43:58Z")
> [@PastTense](#): > > Town halls are not representative. If people were substantially opposed to ACA repeal they wouldn’t have elected a Republican controlled House and Senate and Trump. In polls, the ACA was much more popular than Obamacare. ---
**Author:** ![SingleMalt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/singlemalt/32/3961_2.png) [@SingleMalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SingleMalt)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2017, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-gops-endgame-with-the-american-healthcare-act/781904/4 "2017-03-10T21:45:39Z")
> [@PastTense](#): > > Town halls are not representative. If people were substantially opposed to ACA repeal they wouldn’t have elected a Republican controlled House and Senate and Trump. Maybe because those voters [didn’t think he’d actually repeal the ACA?](https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/trump-voters-didnt-take-him-literally-on-obamacare-oops/2016/12/20/46ef3cae-c6f3-11e6-bf4b-2c064d32a4bf_story.html?utm_term=.277eb7a412ed) Surprise! ---
**Author:** ![The\_Tooth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c67d28/32.png) [@The\_Tooth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tooth)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2017, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-gops-endgame-with-the-american-healthcare-act/781904/5 "2017-03-10T21:48:27Z")
> [@](#): > > Town halls are not representative. If people were substantially opposed to ACA repeal they wouldn’t have elected a Republican controlled House and Senate and Trump. Most people didn’t. Most people of voting age voted Clinton, or not at all. Or possibly these are Trump supporters who want to keep their insurance but voted R for other reasons, such as a desire to see prisoners tortured and their families murdered or some other family value. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2017, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-gops-endgame-with-the-american-healthcare-act/781904/6 "2017-03-10T21:51:11Z")
> [@drossbots](#): > > Worst of all for them, the Republicans basically have complete power and can blame no one for the potential fallout of this bill but themselves. [Oh, no?](http://www.cnn.com/2017/03/08/politics/donald-trump-conservative-leaders/) ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2017, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-gops-endgame-with-the-american-healthcare-act/781904/7 "2017-03-10T21:58:59Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > In polls, the ACA was much more popular than Obamacare. [Here’s your cite](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sx2scvIFGjE). (Plus 2017 [update](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6m7pWEMPlA).) ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2017, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-gops-endgame-with-the-american-healthcare-act/781904/8 "2017-03-10T22:02:35Z")
Their endgame was to continue passing fake repeals against Hillary and hoping people forgot about it after 8 more years of that. This is their “oh shit we actually have to do something now” game. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2017, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-gops-endgame-with-the-american-healthcare-act/781904/9 "2017-03-10T22:10:24Z")
I think it’s crystal clear that their endgame is for the rich to get as rich as they possibly can, and for old, sick, poor, and disabled people to stop being so much trouble and die already. Preferably BEFORE they have any expensive medical procedures or nursing home care. This goes for sick babies, too. Unwanted babies who are born because of no affordable birth control or abortions-- well, they’re no problem, as long as they die AFTER they’re born. Dying before they’re born-- BIG no-no. That must be prevented no matter what! ---
**Author:** ![Emily\_Litella](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/emily_litella/32/3370_2.png) [@Emily\_Litella](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Emily_Litella)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2017, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-gops-endgame-with-the-american-healthcare-act/781904/10 "2017-03-10T22:14:47Z")
The Koch Brothers are insisting they get what they paid for. [https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/05/us/politics/koch-brothers-affordable-care-act.html?mabReward=CTM1&recp=2&\_r=0](https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/05/us/politics/koch-brothers-affordable-care-act.html?mabReward=CTM1&recp=2&_r=0) ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2017, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-gops-endgame-with-the-american-healthcare-act/781904/11 "2017-03-10T22:19:20Z")
My guess is that their endgame is show they did everything they could, blame Democrats and big money on their failure to pass anything, then either 1) blame Obama and Democrats if the ACA goes tits-up, or 2) hope people forget about where the good stuff in the ACA came from and eventually take credit for it. The worst thing that could happen for them right now is if this abomination actually gets passed. ---
**Author:** ![drossbots](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/cdc98d/32.png) [@drossbots](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drossbots)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2017, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-gops-endgame-with-the-american-healthcare-act/781904/12 "2017-03-10T22:20:21Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > [Oh, no?](http://www.cnn.com/2017/03/08/politics/donald-trump-conservative-leaders/) I didn’t say they wouldn’t try to blame Dems, I just saying that wouldn’t work because dems don’t have the votes to block this if the Republicans want it. Therefore they can’t be logically blamed. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2017, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-gops-endgame-with-the-american-healthcare-act/781904/13 "2017-03-10T22:22:45Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > [Here’s your cite](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sx2scvIFGjE). > > (Plus 2017 [update](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6m7pWEMPlA).) God I hate people. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2017, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-gops-endgame-with-the-american-healthcare-act/781904/14 "2017-03-10T22:24:07Z")
> [@Happy\_Lendervedder](#): > > The worst thing that could happen for them right now is if this abomination actually gets passed. Not just them. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2017, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-gops-endgame-with-the-american-healthcare-act/781904/15 "2017-03-10T22:27:43Z")
> [@QuickSilver](#): > > Not just them. True dat. ---
**Author:** ![drossbots](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/cdc98d/32.png) [@drossbots](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drossbots)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2017, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-gops-endgame-with-the-american-healthcare-act/781904/16 "2017-03-10T22:34:02Z")
Another thing. From what I’ve seen this bill wouldn’t work out all to great for the older crowd. > **[Repeal of Health Law Faces a New Hurdle: Older Americans (Published 2017)](https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/05/us/politics/health-care-law-obamacare-repeal-older-americans.html)** > > AARP and its allies are objecting as House committees plan to vote on a Republican bill that could leave people in their 50s and 60s with large premium increases. And considering the elderly make up a large portion of the GOP’s voter base, why would they risk pissing them off? ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2017, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-gops-endgame-with-the-american-healthcare-act/781904/17 "2017-03-10T23:28:35Z")
\*\*What is the GOP’s endgame with the American Healthcare Act? \*\* 1. Make changes. Any changes - it does not really matter what, so long as there is no interruption to the sweet, sweet profits that private companies currently peel off of the top of health spending. 2. Convince everyone that things are so much better now. Ignore actual statistics or figures. Call them “fake”. Call anyone who suffers under the new plan a “hater”. 3. If worse comes to worse, and the people realize that they’ve been screwed, blame the whole clusterfuck on Obama. Accuse him of wrecking healthcare. Attack anyone who says otherwise. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2017, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-gops-endgame-with-the-american-healthcare-act/781904/18 "2017-03-10T23:30:15Z")
> [@drossbots](#): > > And considering the elderly make up a large portion of the GOP’s voter base, why would they risk pissing them off? Because they are reasonably confident that they can bullshit their way through, and blame all of the fuckups on someone else. Their voters will eat it up with a spoon - they have been conditioned to blame others for everything bad in their lives. If they don’t blame Obama, they’ll blame immigrants for making their healthcare suck. ---
**Author:** ![Anny\_Middon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bc79bd/32.png) [@Anny\_Middon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anny_Middon)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2017, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-gops-endgame-with-the-american-healthcare-act/781904/19 "2017-03-10T23:33:12Z")
An opinion piece [in the Daily beast](http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2017/03/08/it-sure-looks-like-paul-ryan-wants-ryancare-to-fail.html) muses that perhaps Ryan wants it to fail. > [@](#): > > The Occam’s Razor answer is that maybe Ryan has calculated, in light of Obamacare’s surprising robust poll numbers, that getting rid of it would be worse than keeping it, because getting rid of it would give the opposition a cause. It would create millions of angry voters who’d march to the polls in 2018 to vote against the Republicans. Remember, the Democrats need only 24 or so seats to flip the House—hardly an insurmountable number if the incumbent president has an approval rating in the low 40s, as Trump does now. If the Democrats take the House, Ryan is finished of course, and Trump is probably finished too. Not only will he pass no legislation, but the subpoenas will be flying off to everyone from Bannon to the White House janitors. The devil’s deal that Ryan and so many Republicans made—we’ll let Trump be crazy Trump as long as he lets us dismember the welfare state—will be moot. Dead. > > So maybe it’s in Ryan’s interest to introduce a bill that he knows will fail provided he can blame the right people. He knew his hard-right flank would hate this bill. So, the thinking may be, make some changes to accommodate them, knowing that those changes will make Senate passage a virtual impossibility, because Democrats—yes, all of them, even Joe Manchin—will be united in opposition, and three or four Republicans may join them (Susan Collins, Dean Heller, Jeff Flake, Lisa Murkowski). This will enable Ryan to say hey, I tried, I moved to assuage concerns on the right, but the Democrats and the soft Republicans in the Senate, and the evil “liberal” special interests like the American Medical Association, killed it. ---
**Author:** ![Anny\_Middon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bc79bd/32.png) [@Anny\_Middon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anny_Middon)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2017, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-gops-endgame-with-the-american-healthcare-act/781904/20 "2017-03-10T23:36:46Z")
> [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#): > > Because they are reasonably confident that they can bullshit their way through, and blame all of the fuckups on someone else. Their voters will eat it up with a spoon - they have been conditioned to blame others for everything bad in their lives. If they don’t blame Obama, they’ll blame immigrants for making their healthcare suck. I’m not sure the R SOP will work all that well when it comes to the senior vote. AARP has come out pretty strongly in opposition to the act, and they are a pretty powerful lobby that is well trusted by members. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-gops-endgame-with-the-american-healthcare-act/781904.md?page=2)