Republicans’ hopes of repealing the Affordable Care Act and replacing it with some draconian alternative are dead — at least for now. And we have bottom-up pressure to thank.

In the wake of last Thursday’s 49-51 Trumpcare vote, center-left pundits heaped praise on the three Republican senators who defected from their party to oppose the so-called “skinny repeal.” Arizona senator John McCain received the most adulation. He was singled out as a hero and a maverick for returning to Washington post–cancer diagnosis to maybe, possibly, not vote to take health care away from an estimated 16 million Americans.

Many on the Left shot back, pointing out that the real heroes of the health care fight have never held elected office.