Agreed, but I suggest that's only part of the story. For some reason, workers in the west don't organize/vote by class any more.

https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2020/04/why-americans-dont-v...

In the US, the last time democrats tried to tackle healthcare, they lost scores of seats all down the ballot.

https://www.quorum.us/data-driven-insights/under-obama-democ...

I remember tracking Trump's poll numbers on 538 (before it got taken down) during the pandemic. They barely budged, despite not having universal healthcare. He then proceeded to get the most votes of any sitting president.

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basilgohar 4 days ago | parent | next [-]

Now more and more people in red states are asking about healthcare. Seems like they could or should be capitalizing on this, unless the parties are going to flip on this issue to keep their power balance.

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smt88 4 days ago | parent | prev | next [-]

The US is starting to reorganize by class, the union laborers are voting for anti-union candidates.

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techdmn 4 days ago | parent | prev [-]

Can't speak for anyone but myself of course, but I was pretty disappointed with the way Democrats under Obama tackled healthcare.

One of the big differences between Obama and Clinton in the primaries was that Clinton was in favor of an individual mandate, and Obama was not. We still ended up with an individual mandate, which is both offensive on grounds that the government is forcing you to find and pay for insurance (not always easy on the exchange), and on the grounds that the primary purpose of the mandate is to ensure that insurance companies stay profitable.

Former Al Gore running mate and future republican Joe Lieberman is often given credit for stopping the nationwide insurance exchange in favor of state-level exchanges, again tipping the market in favor of insurers.

Ending denials for pre-existing conditions was nice, as were a few of the other details, but it felt like a far cry from the hope and change voters were promised. Mostly it exposed more-of-the-same pandering to the rich and powerful. Last I checked Medicare For All polls quite favorably.

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Herring 4 days ago | parent | next [-]

Whatever is worth doing is worth doing badly. Obamacare wasn't perfect, but it had tons of positive effects and could later be improved. Republicans seem to be the only ones with a 50-year plan and the discipline to see it through.

https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2024/06/24/americans-vi...

> 41% of Americans say the government should provide more assistance to people in need

> 30% say it's providing about the right amount

> 27% say it should provide *less*

41-57? If there are issues in America, it's because Americans want it that way.

	▲	potato3732842 4 days ago \| parent [-]
		>Whatever is worth doing is worth doing badly. Obamacare wasn't perfect, No, that's BS. It was worse than nothing and probably set us back years. We'd probably have a more workable alternative at this point if not for the detour.

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FabHK 4 days ago | parent | prev [-]

> with an individual mandate, which is both offensive

I find the mandate entirely inoffensive. Its purpose is not to ensure that insurance companies stay profitable. Its purpose is to avoid adverse selection, and to ensure that everyone adequately ensures against health risks, to avoid forcing others to either pick up the tab or watch people being kicked out of hospitals and die miserably.