Democrats begin to wise up

A race is underway.   Who gets to brand the Obamacare replacement?

Chuck Schumer is on the job:  The name is TrumpCare, and "TrumpCare is a mess." 

Democrats finally paid attention to how Trump brands unpopular things.

TrumpCare.  TrumpCare.  TrumpCare.  TrumpCare. TrumpCare.  TrumpCare.  TrumpCare.  TrumpCare.  TrumpCare.  TrumpCare.  TrumpCare. TrumpCare.  TrumpCare.  TrumpCare.  TrumpCare.  

That was 15 times, by actual count.   

Senator Chuck Schumer spoke on the Senate floor for 6 minutes and 51 seconds.  He used the word "TrumpCare" repeatedly.  He said TrumpCare "helps the rich.  Hurts the average American."

You break it, you own it.  TrumpCare.

Watch Sen. Schumer

This blog has reported on how effectively Donald Trump labels his political opponents, using repetition to shape their brand. Lyin' Ted.  Crooked Hillary.  Low Energy Jeb.  Dishonest media.

Democrats remained flat footed during the campaign.  Donald Trump was barraged with criticism but the only brand associated with him was "Make America Great Again."    People called him names and made fun of his hair and style but at no point did they brand him.

This blog warned back on February 23 that Trump in fact had a plan for repealing and replacing Obamacare: fail miserably, keep Obamacare, starve it and make it worse, and then complain about it and blame Democrats.  Feb 27 Post  Democrats needed to be aggressive, this blog advised, and be certain to brand whatever the Republicans come up with as "TrumpCare." 

Donald Trump in Charge, killing it on Day One

A struggle is taking place right now and Trump is already backing away.  Don't call it TrumpCare!   Trump's team is at work. Sean Spicer said, "We're not into labels."  Tom Price said he wants to call it "patient care," rather than TrumpCare. Kellyanne Conway wants to call it "The American Health Care Act."  

Republicans are at a disadvantage in this struggle over the branding of whatever they do.  They called the ACA Obamacare.  There is no headline writer that will want to call this the American Health Care Act. TrumpCare is easy and it fits the pattern Republicans set.  First it was Obamacare, now it is TrumpCare.  Easy--especially when Chuck Schumer and other Democrats got wise to what they need to do.

"Bloodbath" ahead

This is an ominous sign for Paul Ryan, Greg Walden, and other establishment Republicans. Trump is already disassociating himself from the healthcare law.  He doesn't want the brand.  It won't be universal, inexpensive, simple, or better and therefore it will be unpopular. 

There is consensus in the Republican Party to destroy Obamacare but no consensus on how to rebuild it.  Any way it is rebuilt--or not rebuilt--will be complicated.   The question is what the mess is called.  Democrats have figured that out: "TrumpCare."

Trump has a plan B.  Fail legislatively, then put a damaged and starved Obamacare back in place and blame Obamacare and keep calling it Obamacare.

Plan B.  It is still Obamacare after all.

Can Trump and Congressional Republicans put the blame back onto Democrats?  They will try.   Democrats will be public in trying to save Obamacare.  Some Republicans opposed to Obamacare are criticizing the new plan as Obamacare-lite.   There is a lot of branding going on.   Obamacare, Obamacare-lite, and now TrumpCare.   If the GOP succeeds in passing something then it will almost certainly be TrumpCare, for better or worse.

Trump is better at branding than the Democrats are, but Democrats have two advantages.  Republicans in Congress will want to call whatever they do some form of success.   They won't want to present themselves as utterly unable to govern because of the splits within their party.    The second advantage is Trump.

Trump wants to be the center of things.  He signed the order.  He is the man in charge.  That is the Trump brand. He is committed as the guy who changes things.  If he says that nothing got done and it is still Obamacare then he is criticizing his Republican Congress for being unable to govern and himself for not being able to change things, complicated by the fact that they have already changed things.

This is the grave problem for Republicans: they have the majority to govern. 

Someone is going to take the heat for the result:  Democrats, Republican Congress, or Trump.  Democrats want it to be Trump.