OK, This might be stating the obvious. And it strikes me as a bit odd that it even has to be pointed out to the morons in the media - but - what is all this hand wringing and expectations of repercussions with the filibuster's demise. Even MSNBC gave it the ol' "its too bad it came to this - now one wonders what is next..." try. Or - and I love this one - "one worries about the ramifications."
To all these people - their writers and pundits, the politicos and commentators - Have you not been listening?
In case you havent: ACA represents the "greatest existential threat to America" out there. And us Christmas stealing, gay lovin', marxist/nazi, athe-Muslims, have rammed it down the throats of the real America by using tricks of procedure that violated the constitution, God's plan on earth, and job creators.
And given this point of view, I am sure that should the republicans retake the senate - they will surely respect the traditions of the senate - like a 60 vote threshold to over turn the "law."
I know several Kossacks have made this point already - and my point is to underline it and bold face it a bit more. If the deeply held, religiously based GOP perspective is that we liberals should by no means be allowed to live in the U.S., vote in the U.S., get paid in the U.S. by what stretch of the imagination does a Senate minority of liberals in the U.S. have any rights to govern?
Dont believe me? Look at the state houses of Wisconsin, NC, SC, TX etc. Passing laws without allowing for amendment, without allowing for debate, without allowing for descent. The majority of Americans actually like most provisions of ACA, they dont want looser gun laws and open carry laws - they feel less safe, they want medicaid expansion, and they accept same sex marriage - has that mattered? But these same gerrymandered districts have put the Ted Cruz's into positions of power federally and they are completely unaccountable to the larger country. They have every motivation to take out their revenges - with or without the Filibuster reform. A puritanical cleansing of those in power - and it will take place should the current GOP take power no matter what. Why, because we are evil and that is that; Fox News said so.
Nope Boys and Girls: the Filibuster was dead if the GOP took the reigns no matter what we did. In the end, this move allowed us to have a government for the next few years but promises no more of a retaliation than we were already in for.
I hate to break it to MSNBC and others but the ultrasound vaginal probe of GOP kindness might not extend as far as you were anticipating.