Once upon a time, Republicans controlled the House, Senate, and the White House, but they failed to repeal and replace Obamacare. They paid no political price for shirking seven years of promises to scrap Obama’s imploding entitlement. Nonetheless, they lived happily ever after.
Some Republican members of Congress may believe this fairy tale. Alas, for them, a POLITICO/Morning Consult poll released Wednesday shows that the GOP may pay a huge political price for its belly flop on Obamacare repeal and replacement, starring Senator John McCain, R-Ariz. The Arizona senator's literal thumb down on the so-called "skinny repeal" amendment on July 28 decisively sandbagged efforts to move legislation to a House-Senate conference committee.
Democrats now lead Republicans in a generic congressional face-off — 44 percent to 37.
Just one week before Democrats gained this 7-point edge, they were tied with Republicans at 40 percent. Amazingly — among 1,972 registered voters asked, "Who do you trust more" to handle healthcare? — Democrats beat Republicans 47 percent to 34. How ironic that the party that singlehandedly built this beast now has a 13-point advantage in how to tame it.
This study should disabuse Republicans of the fantasy that they can wreck things this badly without suffering grave electoral consequences.
If, after seven years of blood oaths to scrap Obama’s calamitous "reform," Republicans simply throw up their hands and let this monster terrorize Americans, they deservedly will get slaughtered in the November 2018 mid-terms.
Democrats have seen blood since the night Hillary Clinton lost the White House. These liberals will start lining up to vote next Memorial Day. Independents often value competence over ideology. Many of them may be so appalled at GOP ineptitude on this matter that they will favor Democrats. This fiasco may leave Republicans feeling too betrayed, disgusted, and depressed to vote in numbers necessary to win.
If this nightmare unfolds, the GOP could lose the House. Moreover, they idiotically could blow a totally decent chance to win at least eight net Senate seats (among 25 the Democrats are defending versus just eight among Republicans) and secure a filibuster-proof Senate majority. Coupled with a GOP House and a conservative-Republican president itching to sign pro-market ideas into law, this is the Right’s best chance in 30 years to implement its entire agenda. So, naturally, Republicans are botching it.
Meanwhile, the bog continues to swallow ObamaCare. Premiums for ObamaCare plans rose 21.6 percent last year. Prices for various policies are expected to climb next year, according to The Wall Street Journal, by 24 percent in Texas, 28 percent in Idaho, and some 30 percent in Colorado, Kentucky, Nevada, and Virginia.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) reported Wednesday,"The map currently shows that nationwide 19 counties are projected to have no issuers, meaning that Americans in these counties could be without coverage on the Exchanges in 2018.” CMS added, "It’s also projected that 1,352 counties — over 40 [43.04] percent of counties nationwide — could have only one issuer in 2018." These "Obamanopoly" plans engulf all of Alabama, Alaska (Earth to Sen. Lisa Murkowski?), Iowa, Mississippi, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Wyoming, and Arizona, save for Pima County (Earth to Sen. McCain?). CMS concluded, "This could represent more than 2.3 million Exchange participants that will only have one choice and may not be able to receive the coverage they need."
Source: U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
As Obama’s legacy tumor metastasizes, Republicans will be under mounting pressure to deliver us from this evil.
Whether Congress does so right away, after the House returns from its inexcusable five-weeks of spa treatments, or once they place a tax-reform bill on President Donald J. Trump’s desk, Republicans absolutely must repeal and replace Obamacare. If they do not accomplish this before November 2018, Republicans should brace for the voters’ righteous wrath.
Unless they savor the words "House Speaker Nancy Pelosi" and "Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer," Republican lawmakers must abandon their beach towels, act like a majority, and get this done.
Deroy Murdock is a Manhattan-based Fox News contributor and a contributing editor with National Review Online. He has been a media fellow with the Hoover Institution on War, Revolution and Peace at Stanford University. Read more opinions from Deroy Murdock — Click Here Now.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.