GOP, Strike TWO

Let's not understate the size of the GOP failure to repeal and replace Obamacare. It's huuuuuggge! No one GOP senator has decided they are willing to bite the bullet on their principals or their re-election chances and vote to enact some sort of go forward legislation.  As a party the failure lies with everyone in the GOP who is in the senate.  The party whip. Mitch McConnell. The individual senators who are hold outs.  Each individual senator who is not forcing the issue with the holdouts. The former presidential candidates who ran against president Trump and are presenting wish-list roadblocks.  

President Trump too.

The danger of failure is seismic - a possible disenfranchisement of Republican voters, as well as the new Trump voter coalition and independents, leading to a loss of the house and Senate.  If that is not enough of a fire alarm, if that does not get all hands on deck for a 24-7 push until something gets done, I'm not sure what will.   Strike three will be a full-on disaster.  Meanwhile Republicans seem to be trying to draw a walk (to further the baseball analogy) as the strikes fly past.  They seem to be more content to wait it out than to try to do something.

You were elected to lead, not wait for a bigger majority.  Make no mistake - 60 Republican senators would solve the problem of the holdouts and allow for a passage of something, anything.  But you WILL NOT EARN A SUPERMAJORITY by not doing anything. You have to accomplish something if you want to get voter confidence.

Maybe the GOP are trying to wait out Trump's presidency.  Maybe they just cannot come up with a palatable compromise. But the fact that the GOP is waiting, deliberately, is starting take hold - at least with me.  Stepping up to the edge, twice before retreating at the last second seems suspect. First a McCain illness looked like a chance to stall.  Then two last minute change of minds seemed to ensure the second senate failure. It's too much of a coincidence to stomach.

Regardless of the reason the GOP leadership is stalling, time is running short.  There are other things that need to get done - tax reform, tax cuts, a border wall. All of these things are urgent. My simple reminder to the GOP is this:

Do nothing, achieve nothing, become nothing.

Failure to act decisively will come back on you. Now is not the time for weakness or cowardice. To exhibit either will be to be revealed as a fraud.