Biden fought to expand Medicaid through the ACA

[Vidal]

and in 2017 published an op-ed in the Washington Post defending the ACA from Republican attacks.

So he has done a lot to expand Medicaid and help poor people.

link: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/posteverything/wp/2017/07/17/joe-biden-as-a-nation-we-decided-that-health-care-is-for-all-republicans-want-to-roll-that-back/?utm_term=.93ec37a1138b

[LongtimeAZDem]

1. It doesn't matter; we're weil on our way to executing Biden by circular firing squad

I hope people can live with the outcome.

[BannonsLiver]

2. I think we're on the way to losing in 2020

Too many people not focused on the big picture and laser focused on their issue du jour. The purity tests are back. Woke twitter is calling the shots.

We’re just as likely to let this one slip away as we are to win it at this point in my view.

[still_one]

4. Too far off to determine that. I believe Biden can defuse this relatively quickly and

minimize the damage if he steps back on this relatively quickly

That is one thing President Obama did as exemplified by the Wright controversy, he addressed it right away. Kerry demonstrated how not to do it with the swift puke assholes. He should have countered them immediately. Not good to let controversy hang in the air too long

This still may not affect his standing significantly, but it sure isn’t something he needed, and is a gift to his Democratic opponents I think

Perhaps his campaign is reasoning this will just fade away, or that enough people don’t care about the Hyde Amendment or its implications. If so, I think it is an unnecessary gamble

We will see what happens in the next few days

I personally hope he does a press conference, and steps back on this, along with sending a very clear pro choice message

This is the primary, not the GE, but we will see

[BannonsLiver]

5. It's not really just about Biden.

If it’s not him it’ll be someone else over the barrel.The same fundamental problems we saw in 2016 are there already and in spades. Sure, it’s early, but the trend looks bad.

[still_one]

7. That is true, but my point is that this is an unnecessary fight that Joe can end

quickly

All he has to do is come out and say the Hyde Amendment is a bad law, and if Congress repeals it, as President he will sign it

Then the usual suspects can go back to their usual bashing of how bad those “establishment Democrats” are, like LBJ who gave us the Civil Rights Act, Medicare, etc, or those establishment Democrats who gave us justices such as Ruth Bader Ginsburg, legislation for healthcare, the environment, workers rights, women’s rights, civil rights etc

[LongtimeAZDem]

6. Yep. If they think the Hyde amendment is bad, wait until we lose RBG

[ooky]

8. Yep.

[still_one]

3. It is self-inflicted. Biden can step forward and reduce the damage by saying he was wrong, and

back down from supporting the Hyde Amendment. If he does this before the first debate I believe their will be minimal damage. The sooner the better in my view

Otherwise it should not surprise anyone that his opponents will throw everything at him regarding this

[Celerity]

9. +1

He needs to get in front of this, and with a quickness, IMHO. If he tries to white-knuckle it, succeeds, and wins the nomination, it still potentially can have vote-depressing tendencies (as foolish as those voters will be) in the general.