The mandate was a stepping stone to open fully socialized health care, was it not? The next argument was going to be "literally every single person in America is already paying at least XXX/month for healthcare, so we're going to nationalize it"
I'm glad it was repealed. As a long game item, it you're spot on.
From a more immediate standpoint, the restrictions on healthcare plans is more pressing. Plus the fact that Obamacare never did anything to address actual costs. It only shifted around how it was payed for.
I actually have to give some love to obamacare. They removed the lifetime maximum, which I think is important but incorrect due to improper pricing. My brother's medical costs in the last year have been over $5 million in total. When insurance denies coverage for a $13,000 ambulance transfer to a different hospital, that really hurts, but why on earth does a 2 hour ride cost $13,000? Why does a bag of saline cost $80? That previous $1 million maximum ran out pretty quick
I never liked the mandate, but as someone who has insurance anyways, that did jackshit for me.