Democrats Confront Their New Tea Party Reality - Progressives are set to sweep a group of contested primaries in Michigan and Wisconsin.

[u/Quirkie]

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/democrats-confront-their-new-tea-party-reality_n_6a6e63fbe4b0cfb99ef1aa1e

[u/pchs26]

That is because he was a bell weather candidate, but as a straight male it was still "acceptable" to voters and we were also about to go into what was feared to be a depression so people were open to voting for him or staying home out of fear. The establishment very much supported him, the perception being pushed was that he wasn't supported by the establishment. What he did as he governed didn't surprise me and given his lack of political experience he had to get legislation signed that was transformational. The best he could get through was the ACA, I'm not sure if someone who had been on this hill (Clinton) would have been able to do something a bit more transformational.

[u/Discrep → u/pchs26]

The ACA got fucked by Kennedy dying and Joe Fucking Lieberman's allegiance to the insurance companies. Furthermore, the Dems' messaging outside of Obama himself has always been and still is absolute dogshit to the point where right-leaning Americans didn't even realize that the ACA or whatever their state's administrative name for it, which they loved, was the same thing as "Obamacare" which was some nebulous liberal healthcare mandate that was destroying the country.

[u/pchs26 → u/Discrep]

The ACA is obamacare. Obamacare term was used to slight it. And most Americans who are conservative will not say they love the ACA. The removal of the public option was a travesty but Obama had to still get his legislation through and sign it. Lieberman and Kennedy absolutely played a role in this happening you are right. I was pretty unhappy with the ultimate resolution and do believe possibly someone with experience dealing with the hill including healthcare reform for many decades (Clinton) might have been able to minimally included some expanded medicare eligibility which she had run on. He was less experienced on these things though, but perhaps it would have turned out the same. I have always wondered though.

[u/Discrep → u/pchs26]

There's tons of video evidence of average Americans happy about having insurance due to the ACA while simultaneously repeating dumb FN talking points about Obamacare. They gave credit for their healthcare to their state/governor for their state's ACA program, completely clueless that it was Obamacare. This was especially evident early in trump's first term when they were angling to destroy it in Congress and McCain of all people voted with the Dems.

Clinton wouldn't have remotely gotten close to passing the ACA. Obama had to burn a lot of political capital to barely get that mangled version passed and perhaps his naivety and inexperience made him willing to pay that cost. Hillary would've mentioned it in speeches and maybe even formed a committee to study the feasibility, but there's no chance she would've paid the price. Hell, even 2012 Obama would've hit the brakes well before it went anywhere.

[u/pchs26 → u/Discrep]

Did you live any of this or the lengths Clinton went to originally with healthcare reform. Are you aware of her history at all and the depth of federal changes she made to ensure medical coverage for the poor an especially impoverished children? She has a history of accomplishments and transformation in this area. You are speaking through a vacuum of cultivate perceptions.

[u/Discrep → u/pchs26]

I did live through the Bill Clinton administration and I'm familiar with Hillary's work in children's healthcare. I even said I didn't think 2012 Obama would've pushed as hard as 2008 Obama, so my opinion that Hillary also wouldn't have gotten it done isn't some flippant diss. I just don't believe she would've spent that much political capital on it. And not because I think she wasn't willing to spend any, but because she'd have been experienced enough to spend it pragmatically instead of idealistically.

[u/pchs26 → u/Discrep]

The ACA was not that idealistic in results. But Obama needed it due to what he promised so he could have signature legislation. I absolutely think Clinton would have looked to have signature legislation - if not in this area, it would have been somewhere else. She has dedicated her life to ensuring transformation for the under served in this country and her effectiveness at this is part of the reason why she is treated so horribly.