In health care fight, Democrats wrestle with Obama legacy – and party’s future

Not long ago, the Affordable Care Act was political poison for Democrats. 

The health reform measure’s rocky rollout in 2010 had forced millions of Americans to switch to more expensive health insurance because their old plans didn’t meet the law’s requirements. In poll after poll, President Barack Obama’s signature act met with broad public disapproval. That fall’s midterm elections, which saw the rise of the tea party, were disastrous for Democrats: The party lost six Senate seats and 63 seats in the House of Representatives – as well as control of that chamber.

But by 2018, things had changed. Republicans under President Donald Trump had repeatedly botched their attempts to “repeal and replace” the ACA, as the public’s comfort with – and support for – the law grew. Democratic candidates across the nation, and especially in swing districts, began actively campaigning on “Obamacare.” They vowed to protect people with preexisting medical conditions, ran ads on the issue,