It was a foregone conclusion that the US would join the TPP before Trump came out against it. Trump gave the american people an option to avoid it. It wasn't a great option, but it was an option the american people chose.

> to let them know what they can get away with.

exactly

The current supreme court clearly shows that they can be influenced by a group with a long enough time preference too : took decades for the prolifers to get roe v. wade overturned, but it happened.

> obamacare

Has a good deal of support in the US - sooner or later y'all are going to figure out how to do public health, though i don't bet anytime soon