I can see this court ruling either way, and can think of reasonable explanations for both scenarios. However, in the end, I think that the US will eventually end up with universal coverage one way or another. If the mandate is struck down, I can see the Dems doing better in November, as it will take the wind out of the sails of the GOP (Without Obamacare to rail against, and an improving economy, Romney won't have a strong rallying cry). Whenever the Dems get a house majority again, they will probably create a version of a public option in order to fight the continuous rise in costs. I could see this coming at a State level option, maybe as an extension of Medicaid. Alternately, if the mandate isn't struck down, I see some states figuring out effective coverage solutions within the new scheme, and these spreading to other states that want to emulate their success. At any rate, conservative intellectualism seems homeless in this country.