You know, 20 years ago we went through this same thing. Almost exactly the same if fact. At that time Newt Gingrich was the Mad Hatter of the movement rather than Ted Cruz.
The Republican hard right took over the House in 1994 by the greatest margin in US History, and then two years later took over the Senate led by a real Mississippi racist named Trent Lott.
The reason for the most historic turnaround in our history was that President Clinton tried to have America join the civilized world by giving all Americans health insurance. It was given a negative name at that time too, Hillarycare. It was done in mostly by one advertisement that ran incessantly which we remember as the Harry and Louise ad.
Then as now, Republicans support a health care system based upon 40 million people getting their primary care from hospital emergency rooms. Which eliminates all preventive care for those most in need of it. AND which is the aspect which most reduces health care costs. That and our Gun Culture are what makes America so much more EXCEPTIONAL than the rest of the world. Or should we say SPECIAL?
Oh, and by the way, in response to Hillarycare, the Republicans pushed the Heritage Foundation plan which was to require a mandate that everyone pays in so everyone was covered, it was no different than what we call Obamacare today. The same Heritage Foundation plan that is now so successful in Massachusetts, pushed and passed into law by Republican Mitt Romney.
So why did Heritagecare change from the Republican answer to become a communist plot to destroy America? What could it be? Why add the name to it?
God is white, Jesus is white, Santa Claus is white and so should be our presidents. It all goes without saying. Except on Fox News.