It is unthinkable that Obama will ever accept delaying individual mandate. EVER.

[cthulu2016]

Streets running with lava, devil bats... whatever shutdown-a-geddon Republicans can concoct, it is unthinkable that Obama will sign any bill, no mater what is in it, that delays implementation of the individual mandate for a year.

Period. Ever. That's-that. Not-gonna-happen.

(For one thing, if the mandate was delayed for a year wouldn't everyone be entitled to pull back their exchange pricing offers to re-figure them?)

After the shutdown began to really fuck up the system I can see negotiation on some dumb-ass point or another... something like the tax on medical devices is a revenue issue, not a total scorched-earth Obama-care killer.

But not on implementation of c-o-r-e Obamacare. I assume that he will never agree to such a thing, even if the Senate ended up caving at some point. And I applaud him in that.

[Skinner]

1. I agree.

There is absolutely no way he can accept delaying the mandate. If he did, it might actually be the death of the ACA.

[NutmegYankee]

2. I agree.

And I fully believe we have to stand fast on this or the whole law will fall apart.

[Fumesucker]

3. I agree

This guy apparently does not though.

[solarhydrocan]

6. Obama is excellent at persuasion

Both persuading himself and others

How many people here would support a law requiring the purchase of a crappy corporate product for their entire lives if passed by a McCain administration?

None is just a guess. In fact there would be marches on the Capitol.

[1000words]

4. Why is it "unthinkable?" He's already delayed part of ACA.

The 50+ employee business mandate was delayed to placate Corporate USA.

[cthulu2016]

5. The employer mandate is not central to Obamacare, the individual is

There's a thread here about Krugman schooling Kristol on TV this morning that includes some commentary on the distinction

[Ms. Toad]

7. That one is really annoying -

since our family uses prescription care (and medical care) heavily, our expenses for the next year will be close to double because of the one year delay of the merged cap.

I've just taken a 50% pay cut to move to a new job, and had counted on the merged cap to make medical expenses predictable - and suddenly they aren't again.