Those of you who were convinced that it meant nothing when nobody on the right challenged Rush Limbaugh for saying that he hoped for Obama to fail will undoubtedly think this is nothing either:
Although it sounds ridiculous, Rush is in the process of making his followers believe that the pre-existing condition provision in the health care reforms is something bad and shameful. The reason he's doing this, of course, is because this is the most popular piece of the bill and the one on which the rest of it hinges. If they can divide people on that, the repeal of the plan will be much easier.
During the endless health care negotiations I wondered why the Democrats would so foolishly schedule a controversial program not to take effect until two elections had come and gone, but I was told by many very serious people that there was literally impossible that HCR could ever be repealed once it was passed. But while I think it's fair to assume that Obama will veto any aisle crossing on this issue by Ben Nelson and Joe Lieberman, the other side is preparing for the day after the 2012 election. After all, at that point, nobody will have seen any of the benefits besides some help for kids. In this mean, austere era, I can easily see them repealing that too.
People thought it was insane for Rush to say that he wanted the president to fail. But he held the line and made the GOP come crawling for even suggesting that he was wrong. And the party just became more and more radical. They don't see health care reform as sacred and they will feel absolutely no remorse about destroying it.
Far too many people thought that the Democrats had vanquished the GOP and that Obama, by virtue of his personal gifts alone, could persuade conservatives that history had passed them by. Instead, they discovered that they were the ones they'd been waiting for and they doubled down on their radicalism. Underestimating the Republicans is a fatal Democratic flaw --- the only successful ones know exactly what they're up against and plan accordingly. On health care they planned very poorly. It's possible that it will stand up, but it won't be because Republicans threw up their hands and accepted it.