Is Obamacare really so bad that we're better off with no reform at all? That's a tough case to make — much tougher than the case that some theoretical reform is superior to Obamacare. It involves contending that the health-care law is so unacceptably damaging that it's worth leaving 30 million Americans without insurance to get rid of it.

And if conservative health wonks can't make that case, they should go on to say that repealing the health care law should be contingent on passing a suitable alternative plan to replace it. That would put more pressure on Republican lawmakers to be serious about replacement, and make a conservative health reform more likely.