Why Repealing Obamacare Will Never Really Happen

Returning to the pre-Obamacare world is simply not a reality. Never mind the painstaking uphill climb the GOP would face in overcoming a veto (assuming they win enough seats in the House after the 2014 elections). This of course, while highly unlikely is the quickest path to repeal. The GOP would then need 60 pro repeal Senators, another unlikely outcome for the 2014 midterm elections. 

This leaves one reality. 2017. This of course again assuming a GOP pro repeal Presidency, House, and 60 Senators. Then an only then would they have the infrastructure in place for a succesful repeal. Of course if history is any indicator running the government is not any indication of ability to roll back social programs. See Bush admjnistration in the early 2000s and their failed ability to privatize Social Security.

This is the reality of the situation. Later this year and mid way through 2014 even taking into account the worst case scenario of minimal sign ups, millions of people, aka voters, will be enrolled into the Medicaid expansion. This becomes the reality of repeal. What politician, not on a suicide mission, in their right mind would actually publicly campaign on the idea of striping millions of people of their health insurance? What President wants their Wikipedia page to note they oversaw the greatest increase of uninsured Americans on their watch? 

The short answer to this is no one. Hence the real reality of an actual repeal. The only hope now the GOP has is to somehow hope voters forget their years of trying to block, repeal, an flat out undermine the ACA.