Either way, Supreme Court decision on Obamacare will play to the GOP's favor

I’ve never understood the political argument for precipitating a Supreme Court ruling before the 2012 election, which is what the administration did by appealing the sole contrary appeals court ruling last August directly to the Supremes, instead of trying to get it reheard, which might have taken months.

Yes, it was responsible of the administration to try to eliminate legal uncertainty before 2014, when the mandate takes effect.

But if the Supreme Court upholds the law in the middle of next year’s election campaign, the likely political result is a backlash that will favor the Republicans. Nothing would more effectively inflame the GOP base, or assure that those voters turn out in November, than being told by the Supreme Court that Obamacare is here to stay unless the country elects a Republican Congress and president to repeal it.