I continue to be impressed by the ingenuity with which Republicans create new ways to screw their voters, which in turn are embraced by those voters.
This morning came the news that, contrary to the fervent wishes of Fox News, Ted Cruz and the Kochs, there will not be a "death spiral" if too few young people sign up for the ACA. According to a Kaiser Foundation study, if young people make up only 33% of enrollees it will result in only a one percent premium rise. See diary by Pollwatcher reporting on Sarah Kliff article.
But what struck me is that the efforts by the Kochs, Americans for Prosperity et al. to convince young people not to sign up will affect the cost of premiums at all. The more successful those groups are, the higher everyone else's premiums go up.
So let's say you're a teabagger with insurance -- from an employer or independently purchased. As you cheer on the efforts by your heroes like Cruz to beat down enrollment in the ACA, those efforts are raising your premiums. Not only that, but as the Kaiser study shows, the rise will not be enough to kill off the hated ACA. And no doubt many of the teabaggers are sending money to AFP et al. to fund their anti-ACA jihad, including their "inreach"* like tailgate parties and tee shirts and Obamacare card burnings.
So once again, blind adherence to hatred of Democrats and the Heritage Foundation Health plan will end of screwing those supporting them.
But what about us? The more successful the anti-ACA efforts are, the more our premiums will go up too.
So, (as some guy in China said to Steven Wright when he found out that Wright in the U.S. was unknowingly turning on and off a switch that operated his lights in China):
Cut it out.
*the opposite of outreach?