Since there isn't a separate thread for it (surprisingly), here is my take on the 'ACA is a tax and you should hate Obama' argument:
The GOP has successfully convinced it's base that 'taxes are bad, mmkay?'. This is important because these people are essentially clueless about how government actually works. When it came to light that the ACA is unconstitutional under the Commerce clause, but constitutional as a tax, the GOP was quick to say that Obama just wants to tax middle-class Americans. A few things were left out, however.
Assuming that you already have private health insurance (which will still exist), you should not have to pay anything in addition to the premiums you already pay. Rather, you would pay additional tax for the government to provide you medical coverage (NOTE: I haven't read the entire bill, so if this is inaccurate I do not know).
Mitt Romney said something on Face the Nation a few weeks ago that made me LOL. Bob Schieffer essentially asked, if he is going to lower taxes across the board, how is he going to get the revenue needed for the Government to provide the services it does. His answer?:
(paraphrasing)
"We're just taking this one step at a time"
What I got from this is that Romney has no idea how to make money for the country. The surefire way to do so is to levy taxes, which we already do. However, since all his base wants to hear is 'lower taxes', they end up rooting for him.
If I'm rambling, I apologize, but I promise this has a point.
Taxes are a necessary evil. Taxes already pay for a lot of services at the state and federal level. Police officers, the Army, public schools, among many other things. With the state of the economy, the absolute WORST possible thing to do is to put a lot of these services in the hands of the private sector. If public schools ceased to exist, you'd bet your ass many kids wouldn't attend formal schools. And if I have to pay an additional amount in taxes to have my health (ie, my GENERAL WELFARE) covered for by the government, I'd gladly pay.
Romney, if elected (and if tax cuts are further enacted), will likely find himself in the same boots as one George HW Bush. Eventually we'd need money and there's only gonna be one place to gather it.
What I fear is that these uneducated fools in the USA who swallow BS like candy are gonna be the ones who decide the election.