The Republican’s bill to repeal and replace Obamacare is supposed to come up for a vote today. It was also supposed to come up yesterday. As of late last night, Republicans didn’t have the votes to pass the bill.
Donald Trump has been on Capitol Hill urging members of the House Freedom Caucus to get on board. He’s made a lot of concessions to the bill to appease the conservative members but then the bill started losing moderates. If the bill is too draconian, it will have a difficult time getting through the Senate even if it passes the House.
Trump is demanding a vote today even if Speaker Paul Ryan doesn’t have the votes to pass it. If it fails, Trump says he’s ready to walk away and leave the ACA intact. Republicans complain that Trump doesn’t understand the policy or the politics behind the bill.
They’ve missed something about Trump. He doesn’t care about the policy and he might not understand their politics but he certainly understands his. In Trump’s mind, the only things that matter are winning and ratings. If they get the bill through, fine. He can claim victory despite what’s in it. If it fails, he just wants to cut his losses. He knows that a protracted fight over healthcare will just bring his ratings down and get in the way of future winning. He doesn’t care how it affects Republicans in Congress or the people of the United States. He and his family are set.
Republicans need to understand that Donald Trump doesn’t care about the success or failure of their party. He cares about whether or not he’s popular—and maybe whether or not his companies are making money. It’s his brand that matters, not the GOP’s. Most policy doesn’t affect him so he doesn’t care whether it works or not. If the policy affects his bottom line, he’ll side with whatever is in his best interest, not the country’s.
Republicans who worship Ayn Rand should love Donald Trump. He’s a Randian Superman unencumbered with empathy or sympathy. He pursues pure self-interest whether it’s in the best interest of his fellow citizens or not. He’s got no loyalty to party or country, just his family and himself. That’s what a hero looks like to Republicans like Paul Ryan.
Thomas Mills is the founder and publisher of PoliticsNC.com. Before beginning PoliticsNC, Thomas spent twenty years as a political and public affairs consultant. Learn more >
The Trump agenda has been dealt its first blow and setback. The defeat of his repeal and replace banner campaign promise should be that proverbial first step in dealing with this agenda.
Republicans for the last seven years have raved, gnashed their teeth, and nipped at the heels of Democrats about how horrible for the people the Affordable Care Act was. How they, upon their first opportunity would repeal this hateful piece of legislation and replace it with a plan of their construction, how it would be better, and how it would absolve once and for all this notion of socialism and the re-distribution of wealth. Riiiiggghhhhtttt.
Truth is, Republicans have no plan other than repeal. The piece of legislation that we were eventually shown was a piecemeal, at best, rush to the House floor to fill a disingenuously harangued policy deficit. We saw the members of the Freedom Caucus rise to the top for a brief moment and we got a glimpse of their true intentions for healthcare provided to all people. With regard to that group, we were probably given a more dire glimpse of their agenda on all policy for the nation.
Trump fell flat on his idiotic face with the Trumpcare fiasco. This is what happens when you vote into office the buffoonish host of a TV reality show. Next up for Trump: Putin’s sex tape.
I don’t know that Donald Trump is any better deal maker than Mark Meadows. I would pick Meadows.
After the healthcare vote today, the Republicans will then OWN the issue. It will then be called TRUMPDONTCARE.
As of now, 12 PM Meadows is still opposing the AHCA. I am somewhat confused. Is Meadows that stupid, stubborn or ignorant to notice that the bill as amended with FC conservative ideas is even more disliked than the 1st bill.
living in that gated community and refusing to hear real questions from those who disagree must have made him a real dolt.
Now, on the other hand, I am glad he is standing up to the greatest dealmaker in the world.
You are absolutely right. And that intense self-interest by Trump will bring him down. I have always believed–and my polling has shown–that American voters are sometimes fooled by politicians like Trump (although he is unique) but they do catch on. In Trump’s case he is fast forwarding this process to the point where I believe he may be impeached before the end of this year. Voters may take candidates at face value but when the negative disclosures keep coming that they cannot be trusted (indeed are mocked) their demise in the public opinion polls is rapid and unrelenting. A 37% approval rating, which is strongly held at this point, of Trump will not soon be reversed. And, as his ratings stay this low or continue to sink, Trump will get even more desperate–and that’s when he and his advisors will become more dangerous (start a war?) much like Johnson, Nixon and the Viet Nam war. What has Trump got to lose? After all, as you said, this is all about his ratings and he and his family have already got what they want..
The cover-up by Trump and his team is now moving full speed. It is disheartening that elected politicians–Republicans and Democrats–never seem to learn that cover-ups lead to self-destruction and damage to our democratic system. I hope I am wrong, but I will bet that I am not.
Thank you Thomas Mills for another splendid post, and thank you Dr. de Vries for a superb response. Much wisdom in both posts.
Add to that his and Ryan’s defeat yesterday, and that approval rating may drop even further. Would seem to call into question his much vaunted (by him, of course) deal making abilities. I fear, however, that the real losers are the people of this country who don’t occupy that billionaire stratosphere.
One would think that politicians would have learned as children that the lying usually brings more trouble than whatever one has done wrong. Or at least adds to the negative outcome. Slow learners??