Was The GOP Right, Back Then?

I have been here before,

But when and how I cannot tell.

Dante Rosette (1828-1882), The Sudden Light

Suddenly the light finally dawns,

on ObamaCare’s pros and cons,

Maybe Republicans were right back then,

When? March 23, 2010, that’s when,

When that health reform law passed,

When the GOP did not a single  vote caste.

In favor of the Democrat's partisan passage.

When the GOP said it had much baggage.

When they said that it was unworkable,

That its basic structure was untenable.

When they predicted its astronomical cost,

Causing countless careers and dollars lost.

When they said it it smacked of a con job,

The power grab of a political lynch mob.

When they  proclaimed there was  no free lunch,

This reform thing would cost all of us a bunch.

When they asserted the states can manage  Medicaid,

Rather than resorting to a distant federal  Band Aid.

When they insisted markets were better,

And would make us less of a big debtor.

When they predicted its consequences would be dire,

And into economic mud it would cause us to mire.

When they said  good intentions were not enough,

And the American public ultimately it would rebuff.

But when the law  passed, what then?

After  you had taken it on the chin,

What would the GOP do if the law failed,

Even though its problems you had nailed.

Single payer was not an option,

Suitable for Republican adoption.

What is a reasonable alternative?

What is something more affirmative?

What about something also universal?

What would  assuage the GOP reversal?

What about universal tax credits?

That unquestionably had merits.

What about universal tort reform?

That the system would transform.

What about universal health savings accounts?

They had always led to premium discounts.

These things were  simple and understandable,

And across state lines could  be made expandable.
Why not seize health reform on GOP horns,
And pluck out memories of Democrat thorns?
 

Tweet: With 20/20 hindsight, maybe Republicans were right when they universally opposed the Affordable Care Act. Now they need 20/20 foresight.