It has been a long time since the Republicans ranted on a regular basis about the evils of the Affordable Care Act (a.k.a. Obamacare) and how they will save Americans from it by destroying it root and branch. But recently the press handed them what they believe to be a golden egg from that wonderful mythical goose that will not only prevent them from losing seats in red states that traditionally vote Republican but are now wavering, but it will help them to rid America of Obamacare once and for all. All that we have to do, these reinvigorated Republicans believe, is to generate 1.21 gigawatts of power – in each direction – to propel us through that black hole back to the point in the past where we had the optimum leverage against Obamacare, grab that leverage, and bring it back to the future; the here-and-now! Just like Doc and Marty McFly did in that car that Doc made! Voila, right?

Whether or not this can be done, it appears that the desperate Republican Party is willing to try it. Because ever since headlines in the mainstream media have begun to appear that say premiums for Obamacare will likely increase by an average of 22 percent in 2017, Republicans cannot hide their glee. Even those who have been almost impossible to find because they have been avoiding the press so that they won’t have to answer questions about their standard bearer, Donald Trump, are suddenly popping up like weeds during a refreshing spring rain after a long dry spell and rolling out the old Obamacare rhetoric. Even The Donald himself is trying to take advantage of what might be the only lifeline, despite its precariousness, for his failing campaign to harbor even the slightest hope of a win on November 8. Of course he could not be satisfied with the projected average of a 22 percent increase so he exaggerated this rate in a recent speech to his base.

Republicans are cheerfully shouting to the top of their lungs things like, we told you so; Obamacare is a disaster; and we are going to repeal and replace Obamacare with something that is patient-centric, much better, and less costly. What they are not telling us even in a whisper let alone shouting it as loud as they can is what they are going to replace it with; what that ‘something’ is that will be patient-centric, much better and less costly that they will replace it with; and why after all of this time they haven’t yet revealed a detailed plan to the American people of what they plan to replace it with.

Another thing that they are not telling us is the part that the Republicans played in a concerted effort to assure that Obamacare would fail. They are not telling us that their part is firmly entrenched in the statement that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell made shortly after Senator Barack Obama became president in which Senator McConnell said that his number one priority was to make President Obama a one-term president. They are not telling us that they decided that come hell-or-high water – which has so far proven to include gridlock, a plethora of do-nothing congresses, and risking or ruining America’s pristine credit rating, their plan was to make sure that the policies and bills that President Obama championed and other things important to his legacy would fail; things like Obamacare.

Most states, if not all of them, that were headed by a Republican Governor or that had Republican-led or heavily Republican legislatures have fought relentlessly to prevent Obamacare from succeeding. In some cases these states have not only fought hard to prevent it from succeeding but they have, in essence, sabotaged it by refusing to expand their state’s Medicare programs. Had they worked with the president, not only would premiums likely not be going up in 2017, but they would probably have been a lot more affordable in the first place and the program itself would likely have been well on the path to being a success if not already successful.

Perhaps the reason that Republicans have not revealed their plan is because, like their standard bearer Donald Trump who has refused to reveal his foreign policy plans to Americans until after the election (and maybe even after, based on his statements, he has defeated ISIS), they don’t want to reveal their plan to the enemy. They want it to be a surprise; they want to keep us in suspense. But are we, the American citizens and voters, the enemy? Only if they have no plan and are trying – again, like their standard bearer – to dupe us and want to make sure that they don’t foil their chances, no matter how slight, of winning the election. If that is the case, then we likely are considered to be the enemy.

There is a saying that “a bird in the hand is better than two in the bush.” In the case of Obamacare and this phantom plan that the Republicans are offering, a bird in the hand (Obamacare) is better than a million in the bush offered by this hidden plan, which amounts to “no plan at all” that the Republican Party is trying to sell us (caveat emptor). But it is obvious that that will not prevent them from trying to use it to put Donald Trump in the White House. This is happening despite the fact that many of them who just recently jumped off of his bandwagon because they finally believed that he did not even have the slightest chance of winning might be back on it again because they see a slight glimmer of hope for him and once again believe that hitching their quest for political success to him might still provide some political advantage.

There is about two weeks left until Election Day. This is an extremely important election and it is extremely important for all of those who are eligible to vote to make sure that they exercise that right. Too often too many of us as Americans take this right for granted and so nonchalantly decide not to vote. We should never waste our vote; but especially in this election, an election that has the potential to change the face of America and have a long-term impact on her future. I believe that a wasted vote comes when we either stay at home – for whatever reason – and not vote, or cast a protest vote for someone whom we know does not stand the slightest chance of winning.

So whether you are a Democrat, Republican, or Independent always remember that your vote is the most important one of all…unless you don’t use it! Knowing this, you must be sure to get informed and get out and vote on or before November 8; preferably before that date. If you vote early, you can avoid the crowd and the chance that you might need to wait in a long line. I can attest to that because I already voted: no wait, no stress, no problem.

Eulus Dennis – author, Operation Rubik’s Cube and Living Between The Line