Failure to Launch
The GOP failure to begin the unwinding of Obamacare was predictable. They acted like Democrats, saying "just trust me" and tried to ram through a bill that 1) didn't actually repeal anything and 2) felt too much like a sleight of hand act - a bait and switch.
They waited too late to bring up the "three part" strategy, something the never took the time to explain, essentially treating their supporters like the ignorant rubes the Democrats believe we are. That's not what we expect from the GOP - from Dems, yes - but not from a party that purports to be on our side.
They also did not consider the fact that the majority of the conservative right simply does not trust Democrats, the GOP establishment or Trump for that matter. We have been burned too many times over the years.
I've been studying this over the past few months and just outright repeal is a disaster - and I say that as someone who initially believed that is what should happen. The truth is that it is exactly like disarming a bomb that has motion sensors, temperature sensors, heat sensors, altitude sensors, pressure sensors and gravity switches tied to the detonator on top of a timer that is ticking down to all zeros. So much of the law was left up to the whims of Kathleen Sebelius and the HHS Department as they made rules.
This thing is like the larval stage of the monster from the Alien movies. If you try to kill it, it chokes the host to death.
I'm not sure the full impact of a flat out repeal is even calculable. What I think is clear is that the markets simply won't reset and go back to where they were before this dog's breakfast of a program was passed if it all is immediatley crap-canned. It's goign to take a methodical process to end it. Keep in mind that it took almost 7 years to get where we are and lots of mischief was conducted over that time.
The GOP needs to take the time to lay out each phase and explain what happens in each before they try again. Most of the friendly fire was drawn this time because the Administration seemed to be winging it and most conservatives, myself included, felt that created too much space for the Trump and the GOP establishment members (who look kindly on government programs) to carve out Obamacare aspects they like and keep them alive.
The way to do this is systematically and thoroughly. Nuking it from space just to be sure is not an option - but neither is keeping the proposed process a secret. If the GOP doesn't follow my suggestions, they will never get the votes to clean up the disaster.