Recently I've been commenting on other diaries that Cruz and Lee and their ilk may have a hard time drumming up grassroots outrage for their "town hall" meetings about Obamacare. Sure, they will still get the crazies to show up, but that hasn't been working for them so well lately, as their leaders try to deflect birther questions and get their base to stay on topic. Even Erick E is getting pushback from his loyal following on ACA as this comment from a RS commenter shows:
A huge majority of Americans favor the end of pre-existing conditions and allowing the kids on the parents' policy until age 26. Its implemented, people like it, they don't want that repealed. They delayed the employer mandate (which employers certainly DONT like) until a year after the exchanges open. And if Covered California is any indication, people without insurance or those with expensive policies will love the offerings. They will be signing up, no question in my mind. I found that I qualify for a nice subsidy that would reduce my monthly health insurance expenses by over four hundred dollars a month. That's an extra 5k in my pocket every year if I go that route! Once people start getting deals like that they will love the exchanges too. At least those who qualify will, and as far as I can tell, that's pretty much everybody not on Medicare or living in Beverly Hills.
And now, without further ado,
Idaho is coming around to Obamacare!
I was surprised by the news a few weeks ago that Montana has set up free clinics for their state employees and even the Republican officials who are using them say they offer good health services and are saving the state money. And now we've got Idaho, Idaho!, suddenly discovering that access to affordable care may actually be a good thing.
Like most people in this fiercely Republican state, McCarrel opposes Obamacare -- even though he's uninsured and can’t find affordable coverage as a result of his artificial hip and knees. But the former junior high principal is looking forward to shopping on the Obamacare online insurance exchange starting in October to see if he can get a plan he could afford.
I attended a brown bag lunch about enrolling people in ACA at my local Democratic party headquarters recently where it was standing room only. I'm headed out to a town hall near me this month to check out the crowd in person. I'm not intending to engage anybody in discourse, just going to see what's really being said by the attendees, but I will go armed with a fact sheet to counter any misconceptions if I get the chance. People, even Republicans, need to know how ACA will benefit them and benefit the country.
And if they think through it, they might just make the leap that maybe listening to their party leaders doesn't really benefit them. A girl can dream, can't she?