If this healthcare bill passes, it will destroy the Democrats for a generation. Those are the words I have been hearing from some people on this site. My question is, if that were the case, why is the GOP trying so hard to kill the bill? The reason is that this bill would be good for Democrats and likely link millions of new voters to the Democratic party for years to come.
It all goes back to the famous Bill Kristol memo in 1993 that said that Republicans should make sure that bill that would increase healthcare coverage should be allowed to pass under the Democrats' watch. He said if Democrats were seen as the party that "spends and regulates" on behalf of the middle class, Republicans would be screwed.
If this bill passes and people get subsidies to purchase health insurance, these voters will reward Democrats for years to come. And if Democrats later add to this framework by adding things like a public option, this will only increase support for Democrats.
This is the reason why Republicans are in such panic to stop this bill from passing. They know it will severely weaken their party and give people a reason to vote Democratic. If this bill was so bad for Democrats, you would see a lot more Republicans crossing over to support it.