GOP re-election odds suffer downgrade after Obamacare repeal vote

The House of Representatives voted last Thursday to repeal the Affordable Care Act, also called Obamacare, and replace it with the American Health Care Act (AHCA).

The following day, the well-regarded Cook Political Report downgraded GOP re-election odds in twenty districts.

In doing so, it noted, "Although it's the first of potentially many explosive votes, House Republicans' willingness to spend political capital on a proposal that garnered the support of just 17 percent of the public in a March Quinnipiac poll is consistent with past scenarios that have generated a midterm wave."

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Three districts were moved from 'lean Republican' to 'toss-up,' eleven from 'likely Republican' to 'lean Republican,' and six from 'solid Republican' to 'likely Republican.'

During a Sunday appearance on ABC's 'This Week,' House Speaker Paul Ryan suggested that voters will overlook the potentially negative impact the new health care bill could have on many and focus instead on promises kept.

Said Ryan, "we're keeping our word. That's really important here...People expect their elected leaders, if they run and campaign on doing something, they expect them to do that. And that's what we're doing. We're keeping our word."

As the Cook Political Report notes, midterm elections are a year-and-a-half off and, "18 months is an eternity in politics."

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Though Democrats may ultimately benefit from the House GOP's health care vote, their own actions will influence the public's decisions as well.

BuzzFeed News notes that one move that has already proven unpopular is the party's decision to sing "Na Na Na Na, Hey Hey Hey, Goodbye" on the House floor following the vote.

Said one person of the display, "...It's pathetic. This isn't a silly game, people are gonna die."

Then again, Republican leaders did go on to jubilantly gather in the White House Rose Garden, so it's tough to say what the bigger picture will ultimately look like.