But it's fundamentally incorrect to assume that the American people as a whole (or even as a majority) are behind the Trump agenda.
Agreed. America was not voting
for Trump as much as they were voting against Obama and HRC and the status quo. You can debate this all day but right or wrong that is the way that the left and the right are reading this election. Again, I voted for neither of them so I'm not defending a position.
We concur - saying "pass the bill, then read it" would be insane if that's what was said in chambers. Of course, that's not accurate. Here's what was actually said (to a nonprofit association, not to Congressional lawmakers, by the way).
Irrelevant. It is not so much that a sound bite is taken out of context. The truth is that most lawmakers who passed this bill had little or no idea what was in there and
most still do not. I spoke, one-on-one, sit down, in person with a powerful House Democrat prior to the bill passing. He was stumping all over the state in support of the bill. He knew very little about the nuts and bolts of it and admitted it. He knew far less about it than I did. (He lost his seat that year, by the way. He'd held it for several decades)
That said, I hope you will accept that from my position (again, as an employer, multiple business owner, and annual group plan administrator) that there are fundamental aspects of the ACA that people do appreciate, and will be problematic to eliminate.
I certainly cannot deny that. But at what cost? How many others were hurt? Just look at the stats quoted by the Huffington Post in the article I cited.
So here's my takeaway. First, I by and large disagree with many typical conservative positions. Second, that said, my disagreements fall heavily on the social side of issues, not necessarily the fiscal or administrative side. My sincere hope is that, freed of being the "opposition party" who is forced to oppose ideas simply because they come from Democrats, the Republican congress can do a better job of actually governing, rather than impeding, and that they will prioritize things that can, and should benefit most Americans, and not waste time pushing a social agenda that frankly, most of America disagrees with. If they are really for small government, and efficient government, let's see it.
That is a noble hope. I am not optimistic. I too view most if not all politicians with contempt and much of our current government with apprehension. I expect Trump to be a terrible leader. I expect the elected Republicans to continue to profiteer just as their Democrat counterparts do and to take the easy road on most matters of principle. My hope is mostly to be left alone. (And to defer any thought that I'm not civic minded, I've served in the military, have been involved with local government and donate a large chunk of my income to church and charities). Like most conservatives I just want the government out of my house, off my property and out of my work place. That cannot be, of course, but it is all a matter of degree.
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