When Republicans gained control of Congress in 2010, it was due in no small part to the conservative populist movement now known as the Tea Party. This group adamantly opposed the Affordable Care Act/Obamacare, and they were not afraid to show it. Their venting arena of choice – Democratic Town Halls.
Fast-forward to 2017. Republican Town Hall meetings similar to those in 2010 are taking place all over the country. Angry constituents are packing Town Halls to voice displeasure regarding a wide range of topics. However, a single theme runs through all these meetings.
Republican voters don’t want to lose their Obamacare.
http://www.cnn.com/2017/02/13/politics/republican-town-hall-obamacare/index.html
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/katie-mcfarland-tom-cotton-response
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/dc/tough-questions-private-events-republicans-recess
And for good reason. Despite a terrible roll-out, a 2015 CDC study based on Census data shows that, under the Affordable Care Act, the uninsured rate fell from 15.7% to 9.2%.
So after years running against the Affordable Care Act, Congressional Republicans are just now discovering their voters like it. I think Republican voters also like Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and a host of other “socialistic” programs.