Better To Be Lucky Than Good

Speaker of the House Rep. John Boehner, R-Ohio, walks past reporters after a meeting with House Republicans on Capitol Hill on Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2013 in Washington. The partial government shutdown is in its third w... Speaker of the House Rep. John Boehner, R-Ohio, walks past reporters after a meeting with House Republicans on Capitol Hill on Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2013 in Washington. The partial government shutdown is in its third week and less than two days before the Treasury Department says it will be unable to borrow and will rely on a cash cushion to pay the country's bills. (AP Photo/ Evan Vucci) MORE LESS
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For all the launch problems with Obamacare, the political consequences of that debacle in the 2014 congressional races remain very uncertain because what Republicans are offering as an alternative — repeal and replace — is less popular than fixing the law and continuing to implement it.

For Democrats, the message strategy in 2014 on Obamacare is all about avoiding a referendum on the new law and instead setting up a choice for voters between the less than perfect reforms and the GOP alternative. It’s not rocket science, but it’s why the lack of real GOP policy alternatives on health care reform comes with a political price for Republicans.

This has been installment #462 in why Democrats are lucky to have Republicans as opponents.

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