Mend It To End It

Every now and then I see a piece about how Obamacare has become inevitable as more and more (have no choice but to) sign up.  This is nonsense.

True, it's hard in general to get rid of big legislation, but we've rarely passed a huge law like this along partisan lines, and I don't think we've ever had a huge law like this passed against the will of the American public.  If this country can repeal a Constitutional Amendment that was in place over a decade, it can certainly repeal Obamacare.  It's still unpopular, and with the President holding off a lot of the worst parts till after the election--looks like businesses may be kicking millions off their plans--it's likely to remain unpopular for some time to come.

The main question (which I answer in the negative) is can the Republicans take over Congress and the Presidency.  The former is actually more important*, since Harry Reid has refused to consider any bills which might cause the President to worry.  If Congress could start sending popular laws to the President's desk, eventually even a Democratic White House might have to cave (or perhaps be overridden).

In other words, if the GOP can control the agenda, all it takes is a little political will to end Obamacare.  That's because the essence of Obamacare is a government takeover of health care insurance (and I'm not sure if I need that qualifying "insurance"), and the plan can't work without denying freedom of choice. Sooner or later everyone will have to go on plans the government has approved--and if they're in certain categories, they'll be required to overpay, while in other categories, they'll be heavily subsidized.

So you don't have to officially "repeal" the law to repeal it.  You simply free yourself from it. Offer an opt out.  And that would be the end of it. If people are free to choose, and go into some other market outside the government's control (and force the government itself to compete), they'll abandon Obamacare in large enough numbers that the program would implode.

And how would politicians fight against that?  "We're not destroying health care for anyone, we're giving people more choice.  I thought you were pro-choice."

So ignore all the babble about how Obamacare can't be gotten rid of.  If it isn't, it'll be because the Republicans failed, not because the Democrats succeeded.

*Though there is an argument, with the White House determining what the law actually means, that the President alone could stop it.