# What is your ongoing opinion of the Affordable Care Act? (Title Edited) **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [January 17, 2013, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-ongoing-opinion-of-the-affordable-care-act-title-edited/647561 "2013-01-17T23:21:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 119
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2014, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-ongoing-opinion-of-the-affordable-care-act-title-edited/647561/2362 "2014-05-18T06:24:28Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > I was thinking the same thing. Democrats rely on single issue voters a lot more than Republicans do. That single issue being, “Republicans are waging a war on (insert interest group here)”. The problem is that the “insert interest group here” is widely diverse. Organized labor, women, Hispanics, minorities, the poor, etc. It hardly counts as a “single issue” when it’s spread so widely among a number of issue headings. You might as well say that conservatives are obsessed by the “single issue” of opposition to liberals. That isn’t really a single issue at all. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2014, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-ongoing-opinion-of-the-affordable-care-act-title-edited/647561/2363 "2014-05-18T06:29:57Z")
It’s still one issue for each particular voter. “I vote Democrat because I’d be a traitor to my group if I voted Republican and will be called as such.” ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2014, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-ongoing-opinion-of-the-affordable-care-act-title-edited/647561/2364 "2014-05-18T14:29:56Z")
Who says they have to? For instance, that famous example of exit polling in Ohio. Lefties were darkly suspicious when exit polls showed Kerry winning, but the actual vote tally did not reflect that. I can totally understand, if I had ever voted Republican, damned sure betcha I’m not about to admit it! ---
**Author:** ![Lok](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e8c25b/32.png) [@Lok](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lok)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2014, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-ongoing-opinion-of-the-affordable-care-act-title-edited/647561/2365 "2014-05-18T15:00:33Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > Who says they have to? For instance, that famous example of exit polling in Ohio. Lefties were darkly suspicious when exit polls showed Kerry winning, but the actual vote tally did not reflect that. > > I can totally understand, if I had ever voted Republican, damned sure betcha I’m not about to admit it! The more suspicious aspect was that a very left Ohio Supreme Court candidate on the same ballots had results that pretty much matched the exit polling. Always seemed off to me that her numbers matched but Kerry’s didn’t. But no way to prove or even check things thanks to electronic ballots, so it had to be accepted. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2014, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-ongoing-opinion-of-the-affordable-care-act-title-edited/647561/2366 "2014-05-18T15:07:26Z")
Supreme Court elections don’t work like regular elections. Why not compare Kerry’s exit polling to the Senate race exit polling? [http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2004/pages/results/states/OH/S/01/epolls.0.html](http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2004/pages/results/states/OH/S/01/epolls.0.html) The exit polls were pretty much spot on there too. However, CNN also showed Bush winning the state in their exit polling: > **[2004 United States presidential election in Ohio](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_presidential_election_in_Ohio,_2004#Controversy)** > > Bush > Kerry > > George W. Bush > Republican ---
**Author:** ![Lobohan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobohan/32/79_2.png) [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2014, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-ongoing-opinion-of-the-affordable-care-act-title-edited/647561/2367 "2014-05-18T19:24:58Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > I was thinking the same thing. Democrats rely on single issue voters a lot more than Republicans do. That single issue being, “Republicans are waging a war on (insert interest group here)”. Horse fucking shit. Do you even care if what you say has any bearing on reality? You suggest Dems rely on single issue voters more than the GOP? _Guns, abortion, tax cuts_. Jesus fucking Christ. The utter disregard for reality and saying whatever you want in the moment and pretending it’s a carefully thought out argument is amazing. ---
**Author:** ![Terr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Terr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terr)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2014, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-ongoing-opinion-of-the-affordable-care-act-title-edited/647561/2368 "2014-05-18T20:05:40Z")
> [@Lobohan](#): > > Horse fucking shit. > > Do you even care if what you say has any bearing on reality? You suggest Dems rely on single issue voters more than the GOP? > > _Guns, abortion, tax cuts_. Jesus fucking Christ. The utter disregard for reality and saying whatever you want in the moment and pretending it’s a carefully thought out argument is amazing. Democrats’ two big issues are increasing government handouts and government regulations. And of course a couple of side circuses like gay marriage and pro-abortion stance. So - as many “single issues” as GOP. ---
**Author:** ![Lobohan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobohan/32/79_2.png) [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2014, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-ongoing-opinion-of-the-affordable-care-act-title-edited/647561/2369 "2014-05-18T20:13:06Z")
> [@Terr](#): > > Democrats’ two big issues are increasing government handouts and government regulations. And of course a couple of side circuses like gay marriage and pro-abortion stance. So - as many “single issues” as GOP. _Increasing government handouts_ isn’t a single issue. It’s an ideological shorthand that paints the work of governing a society as sinful. _Government regulations_ aren’t a single issue as well. Intelligent people agree that some regulations are needed, and that addressing them should be a case-by-case decision. People deluded by RW ideology think they’re all the same. So, you’re kinda not even close to right. And there are pro-life Democrats, so you’re even wrong about that. I’m not sure about gay marriage, although, I’d suggest that comparatively few find it single-issue-voter worthy. In all, you are about as off base as Adaher was. ---
**Author:** ![Terr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Terr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terr)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2014, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-ongoing-opinion-of-the-affordable-care-act-title-edited/647561/2370 "2014-05-18T20:18:40Z")
> [@Lobohan](#): > > _Increasing government handouts_ isn’t a single issue. As much a “single issue” as “guns” or “tax cuts”. ---
**Author:** ![Lobohan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobohan/32/79_2.png) [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2014, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-ongoing-opinion-of-the-affordable-care-act-title-edited/647561/2371 "2014-05-18T20:26:29Z")
> [@Terr](#): > > As much a “single issue” as “guns” or “tax cuts”. Nice way you ignored the rest of the post. I’ll assume you’re accepting the rest of it as a given then. As for what you say, no it isn’t.\* Increasing government handouts\*, as you ignorantly call it, covers the gamut of government activity from government subsides, Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, the VA, Tricare, the ACA, Science Grants, Unemployment Insurance, Bailouts, and probably twenty other things I can’t think of off the cuff. It’s a “single issue” category, only because your ideology paints it as such. Whereas “guns” is about being able to carry, and buy guns. “Tax cuts” is about cutting tax rates. I don’t expect to convince you, but I tried. ---
**Author:** ![Terr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Terr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terr)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2014, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-ongoing-opinion-of-the-affordable-care-act-title-edited/647561/2372 "2014-05-18T20:44:34Z")
> [@Lobohan](#): > > Nice way you ignored the rest of the post. I’ll assume you’re accepting the rest of it as a given then. > > As for what you say, no it isn’t.\* Increasing government handouts\*, as you ignorantly call it, covers the gamut of government activity from government subsides, Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, the VA, Tricare, the ACA, Science Grants, Unemployment Insurance, Bailouts, and probably twenty other things I can’t think of off the cuff. It’s a “single issue” category, only because your ideology paints it as such. And I can name you a few hundred taxes to be cut. And probably dozens of gun issues that concern voters, from CCW to registration to “smart guns” to gun show so-called “loopholes” to open carry etc. etc. So - yes, just as much (or as little) a “single issue” as increasing government handouts. I don’t expect to convince you, but I tried. ---
**Author:** ![Lobohan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobohan/32/79_2.png) [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2014, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-ongoing-opinion-of-the-affordable-care-act-title-edited/647561/2373 "2014-05-18T20:47:52Z")
> [@Terr](#): > > And I can name you a few hundred taxes to be cut. And probably dozens of gun issues that concern voters, from CCW to registration to “smart guns” to gun show so-called “loopholes” to open carry etc. etc. > > So - yes, just as much (or as little) a “single issue” as increasing government handouts. > > I don’t expect to convince you, but I tried. Again, each of your “handouts” is very different and serves a different purposes. All gun issues are about just guns. And the tax issue is just about lowering, not intelligent planning. Just lowering. _Oh you lowered the tax on widgets sold to guy’s named Steve? Good job!_ ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2014, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-ongoing-opinion-of-the-affordable-care-act-title-edited/647561/2374 "2014-05-18T20:53:53Z")
> [@Terr](#): > > And I can name you a few hundred taxes to be cut. Name one tax cut you personally oppose. To conservatives, tax cuts are a single issue. ---
**Author:** ![Terr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Terr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terr)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2014, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-ongoing-opinion-of-the-affordable-care-act-title-edited/647561/2375 "2014-05-18T21:09:34Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > Name one tax cut you personally oppose. > > To conservatives, tax cuts are a single issue. Easy. I want sales taxes/VAT raised replacing income tax. I want gas tax increased and restricted by law to be spent only on road infrastructure. I also want more toll roads so that those who drive on them pay for them. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2014, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-ongoing-opinion-of-the-affordable-care-act-title-edited/647561/2376 "2014-05-18T21:17:14Z")
> [@Terr](#): > > Easy. Neither of which demonstrates a tax cut you oppose. ---
**Author:** ![Lobohan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobohan/32/79_2.png) [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2014, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-ongoing-opinion-of-the-affordable-care-act-title-edited/647561/2377 "2014-05-18T21:20:07Z")
> [@Terr](#): > > Easy. I want sales taxes/VAT raised replacing income tax. Which is lowering income tax, since the very wealthy would be taxed less. > [@](#): > > I want gas tax increased and restricted by law to be spent only on road infrastructure. I also want more toll roads so that those who drive on them pay for them. You only seem to want to support regressive taxes that hurt the poor. In any case, the reason you’re wrong about this tangent, is that you suggested that “government handouts” were a single issue. That’s demonstrably wrong, even by your ideological perspective. No one is for “government handouts” just to be for them. They take the various issues one by one, like farm subsidies and Medicare. So you’re just plain, utterly wrong. As for guns, there are a lot of people who look at it as one issue. Anything that reduces ability to carry, or reduces ability to purchase is bad, period. That sort of zero-tolerance thinking leads to bad results. And the GOP is made of a coalition of zero-tolerance factions. ---
**Author:** ![Terr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Terr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terr)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2014, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-ongoing-opinion-of-the-affordable-care-act-title-edited/647561/2378 "2014-05-18T21:25:31Z")
> [@Lobohan](#): > > Which is lowering income tax No, it is eliminating income tax. Apparently you didn’t read what I wrote. > [@](#): > > In any case, the reason you’re wrong about this tangent, is that you suggested that “government handouts” were a single issue. As much a “single issue” as lowering taxes is. ---
**Author:** ![Terr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Terr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terr)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2014, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-ongoing-opinion-of-the-affordable-care-act-title-edited/647561/2379 "2014-05-18T21:26:33Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > Neither of which demonstrates a tax cut you oppose. Demonstrates two of them. ---
**Author:** ![Lobohan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobohan/32/79_2.png) [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2014, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-ongoing-opinion-of-the-affordable-care-act-title-edited/647561/2380 "2014-05-18T21:34:22Z")
> [@Terr](#): > > No, it is eliminating income tax. Apparently you didn’t read what I wrote. I read it. You would be shifting the tax burden away from the rich. The number of dollars they pay would be less. > [@](#): > > As much a “single issue” as lowering taxes is. Repetition isn’t argument, especially when you have failed so utterly to make your case. No one is for all “government handouts” as you paint them. They include things like government subsides for oil companies and the ACA. No one sees that as one issue. But the ideological victims of the GOP’s misinformation do, actually see all tax cuts as good. Remember when the worthies of the GOP presidential primary campaign said they’d refuse ten to one reduced spending to tax increases? Tax cuts are totemic to the RW, there is no similar issue on the left for “government handouts.” I will note that you are unable to argue your case without inflammatory language, calling nearly all the work of government a “handout” is particularly insipid. ---
**Author:** ![Terr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Terr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terr)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2014, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-ongoing-opinion-of-the-affordable-care-act-title-edited/647561/2381 "2014-05-19T00:19:26Z")
> [@Lobohan](#): > > Repetition isn’t argument, especially when you have failed so utterly to make your case. And yet you keep repeating your failed one. > [@](#): > > I will note that you are unable to argue your case without inflammatory language, calling nearly all the work of government a “handout” is particularly insipid. Anything not earned is a handout. That’s just a fact. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-ongoing-opinion-of-the-affordable-care-act-title-edited/647561.md?page=118) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-ongoing-opinion-of-the-affordable-care-act-title-edited/647561.md?page=120)