Sen. John McCain (R., Ariz.) tells National Review Online that Democrats have attempted to “marginalize” tea-party groups during the health-care fight because “they are scared to death of them. There is nothing politicians fear more than the unknown.” And in an Obamacare world, McCain predicts that the movement against the administration’s “extreme liberalism” will be “an influential factor” in this year’s elections.

McCain gives credit to Sarah Palin, his former running mate, for her efforts in stirring up opposition outside of the legislative arena. “I think Sarah is a very important influence on the American political scene,” he says. “She’s energized and inspirational. When I look at the number of vicious attacks on her character from the left, I’m not sure if I’m amused or disturbed. It’s astounding. They don’t like the message, so they attack the messenger.”

McCain believes that belittling Obamacare’s opponents could misfire for Democrats. “The anger and frustration among many Americans is unlike anything I’ve ever seen,” he says. “The president convinced a lot of Americans on the campaign trail that he was a centrist who would change the climate of Washington, with transparency and openness. Yet instead of C-SPAN cameras, we got sweetheart deals made behind closed doors. With this health-care bill, they can see his fundamental philosophy, and how he governs from the left.”

The message for 2010? McCain says “people are angrier than the so-called experts appreciate.” Regardless of the anger, Republican candidates, he explains, “still have a significant task ahead in convincing Americans that we do have viable alternatives, that we did throughout the past year, and that we’re ready to put a positive agenda into practice should the American people allow us to govern again — all while promising not to repeat the mistakes of the past.” He agrees that “repeal and replace” needs to be a rally cry on health care, too. “The replace aspect is important,” he says. “That doesn’t mean we stop paying for Medicare, but everyone knows that the costs still need to be fixed. The budget assumptions given to the Congressional Budget Office were patently false. We’re going to see a dramatic increase in our health-care costs and a huge increase in the size of the federal bureaucracy. That needs to be addressed.”

In the short term, McCain says what probably can’t be fixed is Obamacare’s reconciliation package in the Senate. “The Democrats have the luxury of allowing some of their members to vote against it, knowing that all they need is 51 votes,” he says. “By doing this, they’re dealing a huge blow to the institution of the Senate, and making us much more like the House of Representatives. Harry Reid has the luxury of losing nine, and there is no question that the fix is in. Yet we must ask: At what price? Is Congress willing to lose its credibility in the eyes of the American people, who so oppose this bill?”

On another health-care note, McCain says “words like pathetic and outrageous spring to mind” when he looks at the Stupak-Obama deal on an abortion executive order. “Everyone knows that executive orders don’t override legislative language,” he says. “[Stupak] folded like a cardboard suit in the rain.”