Obamacare: how much was it to blame for the loss?

[realmirage]

Edit: link fixed. It points to intended article now

Half of my family and friends are without health insurance because they can't afford it. I am also in that boat. This means not only do I live with the stress of my wife and I not being insured, I will then have to pay a penalty I can't afford either. I work a decent job but after the bills are paid there isn't enough left for insurance.

I saw some lefty friends on Facebook, who can't afford insurance, the week after Trump's win wondering desperately whether Trump will remove the penalty.

I wonder how many people who voted Trump did so partly due to being in the same situation I and my friends are in?

I don't claim to know a solution to this other than single payer, and that's not happening any time soon. I wonder for how many people the premium hikes and penalties combined with other economic concerns and swayed them to Trump.

I know that I am personally frustrated with the economy as are many others, and as much as I hear reports about the improving state of the economy I'm not seeing it personally. If this is my experience as a professional with a job, there must be tons of people out there just like me. It's fine for people to say that the hikes are a natural part of the progression and that at some undefined point in the future Obamacare will be working great. But I am one financial emergency away from ruin, and none of that "be patient" shit helps me now.

Were Democrats too chickenshit to fight for single payer? Regardless, obamacare is on the left's shoulders and I wonder how much we paid for that on Nov 8

The Democratic Party needs to be the party of the working class again, all colors. A party with balls to fight. Otherwise who will vote for Denocratic candidates? People vote survival first, everything else second.

http://www.cnn.com/videos/tv/2016/11/10/congress-and-president-elect-trump-capitol-hill-sen-al-franken-lead-tapper-intv.cnn