His domestic reflex seems to be to do the exact opposite of Obama, even when Obama was doing the populist thing

Consumer protections

All populist things that Trump has stood against because Obama was for them.

So that has been a disappointment.

As far as the rest, it's been as expected.

Filling the courts the Federalist Society picks. Railing against immigration. Trade war. Acting like a bully on the world stage.

eeh, NN and Obama care were not popular, not by a long shot. They were pretty split

I thought he might actually be an ally to GLBT but he's tended against them but so far it hasn't been catastrophic, just enough red meat to keep the fundies happy.

I think the trouble is: what's populism when large segments of the population have opposing views?

^

everything

so nothing really

I thought the idea that we didn't want corporations to control what we see and don;t see was pretty popular

Sure, but that doesn't mean everyone has the same idea about how to address it

And I think about 2/3 of the electorate believes the gov't has a role in ensuring people have access to health insurance that isn't not prejudiced based on preexisting conditions.

since when has the electorate actually represented the people of the US tbh

Not necessarily the Republican system that is the ACA, but those protections, yes

they vote whatever the people paying the most want

which was the problem with NN

it was big business vs big business

Obamacare = RomneyCare = Republican response to Hillarycare

The ACA is a republican think tank developed system

The Republicans only hate it now because the Dems co-opted it

or because it was as shit as people were saying it would be, and just us the dems as an excuse to hide their failure

everyone wants cheaper healthcare, and all the system proposed by both parties would not do that

but they were pressured for something

hell, even look at what happened when they tried to pass the replacement

Actually, I think it has worked remarkably well. The serious flaw was ending assistance at too low an income level.

it fined people for not having enough money to afford the now higher premiums

how on earth was that working well?

The basis of the ACA is to limit individual health care spending to 10% of income on an actuarial basis

But the tax credits to help make that happen stop too low so the middle class get hit will much larger costs.

The tax credits should continue to about twice the income they do now.

why are we even encouraging the system? Healthy people get robbed while sickly people get shafted, and the solutions are make more healthy and sick people get fucked by a third party or turn every hospital into the VA.

The fines were meant to keep people in the system so they did not join only when they got sick. You cannot make an insurance model work when people can wait to buy insurance only when they actually need it. Imagine being able to buy homeowner insurance when your house is on fire.

you know how you fix that without fining poor people? a waiting period for coverage to start

Why? Because when people get sick they want to be cared for. This whole ACA happened because the system before it wasn't working for a lot of people.

Grenade, yes and no. Who pays when they have to wait?

They do. Which is what charity is for and should be encouraged to do. IF they couldn't afford insurance before, they can't afford it now. And fining people already too poor to pay only takes food out of their mouth.

the solution for a person too poor to pay was making them pay or make them pay when they can't. and you are asking how will they pay.

Okay, let's look at a real example. Someone has a heart attack and their open heart surgery and associated care results in a $100,000 bill. Who pays it is the people eschewed insurance?