@OKSTATE1 - great post, but do you really think healthcare was a defeat for Trump?
This was Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnel's bill --- I think it's better to let Obamacare implode, or do a clean repeal.
Passing a bill with a 20% favorable rating hangs it around Trump's neck, and makes him have to waste political capital defending another lobbyist-written monstrosity.
Thanks for the question and I can see your point, I do feel it is a defeat for Trump. Now, how much blame to do you apportion to him? I am not smart enough to say to be honest, it is not totally on him, but not certain if that matters for some voters or the result of what has happened. Republicans in general own this - House, Senate, and the Prez.
How many times did the Republicans pass a repeal of Obamacare when Obama was President? A few times....so we know a bunch of Republicans were just playing politics and fishing for votes on the next election cycle. Sure, they did so knowing Obama would veto anything that ever reached his desk, but they played politics instead of rolling up their sleeves and getting to work. They sold the public on having a common goal with those votes, and then when it was time to put up......they played politics and showed they had no plan and they were not on the same page. BIG LIE.
Perhaps Trump's position from the beginning should have been to let Obamacare implode, problem with that strategy is that it is playing politics while you let it die and the American people suffer for it. It needed to be fixed, we deserved that. I will give Trump credit for trying to fix it, letting it die is now a position to take to save face and really is the default position right now with no other options available so it is not a "policy position" to take. Best thing might be for it to die, but the BETTER option was to fix it for the American public.
IMO, might as well stop watching anything going on in Washington right now, I really believe that to some extent. I fail to see how on earth they can get
any meaningful legislation passed if they could not get healthcare done, it should have been a slam dunk. Obviously, the Republicans are really not on the same page despite the rhetoric of the last 7 years. Going to have change the people to change the people, no way in hell I see myself voting for any Democrat, but I am really disappointed in the entire Republican leadership and some of them obviously need to be replaced. At least SCOTUS will be taken care of by Trump, other than that I guess we need to see more Republicans voted in that can get on the same page and get things done, and part of that like it or not is figuring out a way to manage thru the Washington minefield to make things happen. Both sides of the aisle are obstructionists right now, how on earth does Washington grind to a halt and is unable to pass legislation, some of which it has promised to pass for 7 years? I feel let down right now, I had expectations. Ryan, McConnell, etc....YOUR FIRED!
What is Trump to do? He either needs to figure out a way to get the votes or he needs to identify who needs to go in the Senate and House and what replacements will get things passed and actively spend his time from now until the next election cycle campaigning to get some Republicans out of office and replaced with new Republican blood. Hate to go to war with your own party....but heads need to roll over this massively and if he wants to accomplish anything as President he has to figure out how to get legislation thru with what he has (will not happen, we know that now), or work hard to get new players in Washington, that would be one way to drain the swamp. Otherwise, might as well spend his time taking vacations on the taxpayers dime and spending more quality time with Melania, maybe spend more time overseas giving speeches, at this point he might have more value overseas than here at home until some seats can be changed.
I am no political expert, but I see a major problem for the Republican party not getting healthcare fixed, it was the one item I think we all believed would get done. I am as disappointed for Trump as I am for all Americans, but I am a bottom line results guy. There is no excuses for the pile of crap Republican leadership is rolling out, especially during a time frame the Democrats really have no direction or message and all they can continue to do is identity politics. They have let the voters down, they really have no excuses, right message and we have a clown show and circle jerk in Washington. They better be careful....losing control is not out of question, when you can not execute several chances at a dunk? We know new players are coming......who knows what party affiliation they will be, I hope they are normal Republicans (no crazy right wing zealots) that can go to work for the American people and get some legislation passed to make our lives better.
