Politicking...

I have to admit, I thought the strategery was wrong in yesterday's first First Four (God how I hate them!); could be me, but three seconds is simply not enough time to run any sort of play, unless you are under the basket, or damn close.  I can see the point of not fouling, because if you do, you are down three, but...you can always go for two, try for the steal, force a possession to a bad FT shooter, etc.  I am not sure limiting options is wise...

https://www.brookings.edu/research/prospects-for-partisan-realignment-lessons-from-the-demise-of-the-whigs/

I need to read the Whig book, for one...more seriously...I think the GOP is in the more danger here, given the unstable nature of its coalition...to me, the Dems are having/have had their cleavage; the Reagan Dems are back to the GOP (entitlements, racism, culture war, all of the above) and the Dems have chosen other partners.  It just failed in 2016, but 2020 is not that far away.  For the GOP, of course, the issue is the shotgun wedding between the voters of the here and now and the conservatives.  One difference between us and the Whigs is that...I think slavery was a HUGE issue, more than anything, in that it was both a political AND a moral problem, and eventually it became one that, for many Whigs and Northern Democrats, could NOT be untwined.  Not sure we have that now; I mean, gay marriage isn't as salient, neither is abortion.  I don't think anyone is going to die on the hill of the AHCA....

https://reason.com/blog/2017/03/06/the-gops-obamacare-repeal-bill-is-here-i

My own feeling is that it is dead, mainly because the House and the Senate versions CANNOT be reconciled.  One way around this might be what Douglas did to pass the Kansas-Nebraska Act; namely, rather than have omnibus bill, you put everything up individually, and let the electoral chips fall where they may.  I suspect you would get enough of what you wanted to be palatable to most without offending all...