Did you know that President Trump saved Obamacare? I did not, but was glad to learn this from Vance in the VP debate. You see, Obamacare (the Affordable Care Act) was collapsing — yes, collapsing — and President Trump stepped in, taking responsible presidential action to save the program, to make sure health insurance continued for our vulnerable seniors, especially those with pre-existing conditions, who Republicans care so much to protect.
This was in 1984.
Trump’s action must have been behind closed doors, without taking any public credit, because I wasn’t aware of it, news junkie though I am. Indeed, I thought I remembered Trump endlessly struggling to “repeal and replace” Obamacare, without ever actually coming up with a proposed replacement. With the program saved only by John McCain’s Senate vote, defying his party. While Trump actually did everything he could to gut the program, starving it of funding. And I even thought I recalled Trump, just in the September debate, still talking about dumping Obamacare, and still bullshitting about unexplained “concepts” for a replacement.
But I guess I was mis-remembering all that.* I’m grateful to Vance for clearing that up.
Another vulnerable group of people Vance and Republicans are determined to protect are women needing pregnancy care or termination. Vance spoke movingly of a close acquaintance who sought an abortion. But apparently I’m not alone in having a poor memory, because Vance seemed to have forgotten how, until quite recently, he’s advocated outlawing abortion nationwide, and even introduced draconian legislation to do that.
Something else I didn’t know was that as Vice President, Kamala Harris has let in 25 million illegal immigrants. I had no idea that a Vice President even has such authority! I’ll have to study up. I also thought the number of such residents totaled about 11 million, according to all estimates I’ve seen, with the great majority having arrived before 2021; indeed, more during Trump’s term than Biden’s. Furthermore, I never realized how much godlike power undocumented immigrants have, being responsible for practically all America’s problems (even while filling needed jobs and paying taxes). JD Vance’s revelations are truly shocking.
(By the way, he was always J.D. with periods, I didn’t know he was JD until a number of years ago when he happened to turn periodless, and now he wants to be known as JD. So I don’t know, is he J.D. or is he JD?)
Meantime I was greatly pleased to learn from Vance that in January 2021, Trump smoothed a peaceful transfer of power. Having merely suggested that his supporters engage in peaceful demonstrations.
I thought I recalled a concerted effort to overthrow the election, based on the lie that it was stolen, and machinations even including fake electors, culminating with a violent assault on the Capitol in which people died, almost a thousand attackers being convicted of crimes, and Trump himself and many of his top henchmen indicted by the criminal justice system.
What a relief to learn that was all just a bad dream.
* And this quote from a Republican congressman: “Nobody dies because they don’t have access to health care.” https://rationaloptimist.wordpress.com/2017/07/18/health-care-let-them-eat-cake/