There’s a lot of truth in this, but the reality here is that expertise wouldn’t have mattered. GOP legislators know that their base isn’t interested in the mumbo-jumbo of actual health care experts. These voters are not interested in analysis, or extended debate. They don’t care who’s in favor of it or who’s against it, or for what reason. They’ve been told that Obamacare — which they hate — would be repealed, and the Affordable Care Act — which they like — would be improved.

I am not a health care expert. I am a conservative (and former GOP Senate staffer) who in general objected to the establishment of a new massive new entitlement in 2010 with a series of legislative and regulatory contraptions muscled through by then-Majority Leader Harry Reid. I was appalled by Rep. Nancy Pelosi’s admission that Congress would have to pass the bill in order to figure it out. And I was disgusted by health care consultant Jonathan Gruber later admitting that much of the debate around the ACA was a charade premised on the stupidity of the average voter.