Don’t look now but the upcoming 2018 U.S. midterm elections are shaping up as virtually the exact inverse of 2010 when widespread opposition to the Affordable Care Act (ACA) helped sweep Republicans into power from the local courthouse all the way up the political ladder to Congress.
Turning the tables in the current election cycle, Democrats running  everywhere from deep blue to ruby red states are forcefully putting health care at the center of their campaigns. Why so? Because virtually all polling has shown that Americans rank healthcare among their top issues ahead of the November elections. This new political reality follows GOP failed efforts last year to overhaul the healthcare system which proved to be deeply unpopular.
Call it kismet but the GOP failure to repeal the ACA combined with ongoing White House efforts to weaken the law’s protections including those shielding people with pre-existing conditions is now raising the strong possibility that the healthcare issue could propel a backlash strong enough to usher in the Democrats to power starting next year.