# 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:** 167
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2015, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-ongoing-opinion-of-the-affordable-care-act-title-edited/647561/3322 "2015-01-27T18:00:38Z")
> [@2ManyTacos](#): > > As the evidence of ACA success & the ludicrousness of the _King_ argument continue to pile up, conservatives have increasingly been turning to the moral case that Ocare is _inherently wrong._ I’m going to link to this Wa-Po op-ed that’s been getting a lot of attention for the past few days, both for its stunningly cold & apropos headline as well as the fact that it broadly encapsulates the GOP’s entire approach to health care policy (hint: they don’t believe in it): > > [End Obamacare, and people could die. That’s okay.](http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/end-obamacare-and-people-could-die-thats-okay/2015/01/23/f436df30-a1c4-11e4-903f-9f2faf7cd9fe_story.html?hpid=z2) > > The article itself makes me almost feel physically ill, but at the same time, I do think that it’s important for Americans to see the GOP’s immorality on HC matter-of-factly laid out to them. Well, it’s just like the old joke: Two ladies were out driving near Washington DC. One pointed out two naked men in a field masturbating each other. “Look,” she said, “Two Democrats jerking each other off.” “How do you know they’re Democrats?” her friend asked. “If they were Republicans, they’d be fucking a crowd of poor people” * * * ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2015, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-ongoing-opinion-of-the-affordable-care-act-title-edited/647561/3323 "2015-01-27T18:39:01Z")
> [@2ManyTacos](#): > > Yeah, I saw this the other day & would’ve probably posted it here if you hadn’t beaten me to it. The thing is, I actually kind of like Sandoval because - by all accounts - he’s actually gone out of his way to distance himself from his national party in order to govern in a reasonable way. If he challenges Reid in '16, he might even be favored to pick up that seat. > > But by all means, this is a Hell of an equivocation on the ACA. Now, it’s funny to those of us who know the facts about the law & what it does, even if it’s similarly as frustrating that a huge amount of people are bound to credit Sandoval _himself_ for the sharp decline in the uninsurance rate as opposed to Obama for _Obama_care. > > There was a similar equivocation a few months ago when Kasich in Ohio claimed that Medicaid expansion wasn’t related to the ACA at all. Maybe this is how Obamacare Derangement Symptom will finally go away: with GOP pols gradually taking credit for what the law does while simultaneously distancing themselves from the moniker of Obamacare itself. Don’t worry, no one here in Nevada was fooled into thinking this had anything to do with Sandoval; he just happens to be governor at the moment. Brian Sandoval’s greatest strength as governor has been his ability to do very, very little and to do even less that is stupid. Of course, with his predecessor setting the bar as low as he did, it’s pretty easy to jump over it. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2015, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-ongoing-opinion-of-the-affordable-care-act-title-edited/647561/3324 "2015-01-27T18:44:29Z")
I’m going to say something strange. Republicans should pass a fix to the exchanges NOW. My reasoning? There’s been a lot of pissing about which side is responsible for the fact that the two sides can’t work together. I blame Obama as much as Republicans, but your mileage may very. One way to break that impasse, or at least a very real way for Republicans to show they are willing to work with the administration, is to just concede the issue now. Pass the fix, get SCOTUS off the hook, and ask for nothing in return other than goodwill. ---
**Author:** ![TonySinclair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/49beb7/32.png) [@TonySinclair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TonySinclair)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2015, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-ongoing-opinion-of-the-affordable-care-act-title-edited/647561/3325 "2015-01-27T21:45:55Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > I’m going to say something strange. Republicans should pass a fix to the exchanges NOW. My reasoning? There’s been a lot of pissing about which side is responsible for the fact that the two sides can’t work together. I blame Obama as much as Republicans, but your mileage may very. > > One way to break that impasse, or at least a very real way for Republicans to show they are willing to work with the administration, is to just concede the issue now. Pass the fix, get SCOTUS off the hook, and ask for nothing in return other than goodwill. We’re still talking about Republicans, right? American Republicans? In the House and Senate? Right? ---
**Author:** ![Lok](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e8c25b/32.png) [@Lok](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lok)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2015, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-ongoing-opinion-of-the-affordable-care-act-title-edited/647561/3326 "2015-01-29T03:14:22Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > One way to break that impasse, or at least a very real way for Republicans to show they are willing to work with the administration, is to just concede the issue now. Pass the fix, get SCOTUS off the hook, and ask for nothing in return other than goodwill. This would be astute politics, give them some high ground (or at least make the hole they have been digging less deep), be good for the country, and really help them get some stuff they want through later. IOW, never going to happen. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2015, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-ongoing-opinion-of-the-affordable-care-act-title-edited/647561/3327 "2015-01-29T03:19:02Z")
It also doesn’t bind them. They can still repeal the bill later if they win the White House. All it does is tell the public, “We still oppose this law, but we’re not going to cause it to fail on a technicality.” It looks like they are willing to fix it, but only for some pretty steep concessions. Which is also good politics, if they get a deal. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2015, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-ongoing-opinion-of-the-affordable-care-act-title-edited/647561/3328 "2015-01-29T16:04:13Z")
Does “willing to fix it” mean the same thing to you as “repeal and replace”? Because that’s still the party line, you know. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2015, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-ongoing-opinion-of-the-affordable-care-act-title-edited/647561/3329 "2015-01-29T16:12:56Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > Does “willing to fix it” mean the same thing to you as “repeal and replace”? Because that’s still the party line, you know. I’ve heard “repeal” but I don’t recall “replace”. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2015, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-ongoing-opinion-of-the-affordable-care-act-title-edited/647561/3330 "2015-01-29T16:25:37Z")
Not much anymore, since they have, as you know, nothing to propose as a replacement. But yes, it was originally part of the mantra and yes, it still gets said. ---
**Author:** ![2ManyTacos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/2/3da27b/32.png) [@2ManyTacos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2ManyTacos)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2015, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-ongoing-opinion-of-the-affordable-care-act-title-edited/647561/3331 "2015-01-29T19:04:36Z")
Damn, ruling against the government in King will also [take health insurance away from 5 million children.](http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2015/01/29/3616620/hidden-threat-take-health-care-away-5-million-children/) I hope that that has _some_ bearing on the Justice’s thinking. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2015, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-ongoing-opinion-of-the-affordable-care-act-title-edited/647561/3332 "2015-01-29T19:22:23Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > I’m going to say something strange…Pass the fix, get SCOTUS off the hook, and ask for nothing in return other than goodwill. (post shortened just to be a dink about it) Tequila and bongwater is not for amateurs. ---
**Author:** ![BOOM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c4cdca/32.png) [@BOOM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BOOM)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2015, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-ongoing-opinion-of-the-affordable-care-act-title-edited/647561/3333 "2015-01-29T23:19:26Z")
Speaking as a urpean, once the people have it it’s a hell of a thing taking it away from them - who gets to tell 8 million people they can no longer afford healthcare (again)? ---
**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:** [January 29, 2015, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-ongoing-opinion-of-the-affordable-care-act-title-edited/647561/3334 "2015-01-29T23:26:27Z")
> [@BOOM](#): > > Speaking as a urpean, once the people have it it’s a hell of a thing taking it away from them - who gets to tell 8 million people they can no longer afford healthcare (again)? There are a number of Republicans in Congress who would be positively giddy to deliver that news. They love doing that shit. ---
**Author:** ![BOOM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c4cdca/32.png) [@BOOM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BOOM)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2015, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-ongoing-opinion-of-the-affordable-care-act-title-edited/647561/3335 "2015-01-29T23:28:05Z")
Even if they weren’t mostly repubs in the first place, that’s a lot of votes. Plus it’s demonstrably irrational now - this is cheaper, right? ---
**Author:** ![Lok](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e8c25b/32.png) [@Lok](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lok)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2015, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-ongoing-opinion-of-the-affordable-care-act-title-edited/647561/3336 "2015-01-29T23:58:04Z")
> [@BOOM](#): > > Even if they weren’t mostly repubs in the first place, that’s a lot of votes. > > Plus it’s demonstrably irrational now - this is cheaper, right? You are trying to apply logic to GOP politics. Not a productive endeavor these days. ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2015, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-ongoing-opinion-of-the-affordable-care-act-title-edited/647561/3337 "2015-02-13T16:15:19Z")
SCOTUS will soon hear a suit by four Virginians who have[suffered “grievous harm by being forced to either buy health coverage or pay a penalty”](http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/12/opinion/gail-collins-an-ode-to-obamacare.html). For a good laugh, read the article. These were the best four examples the anti-Kenyanists could come up with! 😕 :smack: (Apparently much of the brouhaha relates to an ambiguous legislative wording … that the GOP-controled House refuses to correct.) ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2015, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-ongoing-opinion-of-the-affordable-care-act-title-edited/647561/3338 "2015-02-13T23:30:01Z")
Titled edited to reflect current status of the ACA. ---
**Author:** ![TimeWinder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bcef8e/32.png) [@TimeWinder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TimeWinder)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2015, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-ongoing-opinion-of-the-affordable-care-act-title-edited/647561/3339 "2015-02-14T01:26:59Z")
> [@Jonathan\_Chance](#): > > Titled edited to reflect current status of the ACA. Wait, wait. You meant that thing PASSED? Why didn’t someone tell me? ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2015, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-ongoing-opinion-of-the-affordable-care-act-title-edited/647561/3340 "2015-02-14T01:49:16Z")
This thread does not really belong in the Elections forum. ---
**Author:** ![BOOM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c4cdca/32.png) [@BOOM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BOOM)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2015, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-ongoing-opinion-of-the-affordable-care-act-title-edited/647561/3341 "2015-02-16T14:01:50Z")
I guess many will have a sense of this anyway - some perhaps from the Olympic Opening Ceremony - but this is how important UHC is to the general population after 60 years. Scroll down to single most important issue: > **[Tories up six points in latest ICM poll](https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/feb/16/tories-up-six-points-latest-icm-opinion-poll)** > > Conservative party gains in voter support despite week that saw them under pressure over wealthy donors and HSBC revelations So it’s not the only issue, it’s the one that matters most amongst many - how to maintains services in this austerity era. Lobbyists and vested interests can make up any number of emotive phrases (death panals, etc) but that number in that poll is all you need to know, imo. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-ongoing-opinion-of-the-affordable-care-act-title-edited/647561.md?page=166) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-ongoing-opinion-of-the-affordable-care-act-title-edited/647561.md?page=168)