GOP Senators lack the vote down Obamacare on the floor, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have a strategy to stop it from passing.

Republicans are demanding a deceleration of the process and moving to define whatever plan that emerges as a combination of Medicare cuts, tax increases, higher insurance premiums and rising overall costs.

Hinging on recent polling that show a majority of Americans (54%) oppose the healthcare plan backed by Obama and the congressional Democrats, Republicans are seeking to frame the final bill being negotiated behind closed doors now, whatever it may look like, as a bill full of policies that the American people don’t want and don’t need.

“Where they’re headed is inconsistent with the American people, so I’m not sure it’s as much about us as it is about making sure that the American people express their deep concerns over this,” Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.) said last week. “Certainly they’ve got the votes, but they’re going to have to hold every one of them in the United States Senate to make it through this.”

The central focus of the GOP strategy appears to be slowing down the process enough to give them time to release the details of this bill being crafted in hopes that the American people won’t like what they find and, perhaps building upon the energy of the TEA Parties, barrage Democrats in Congress with the message that this bill is unacceptable. One Senate aide told Roll Call, “The votes are the reality, so the only way you win this thing if you’re in our camp is if the American people are completely on your side. To have a positive outcome and get back to doing what we think is good for our health care system, we need to have the American people understand this thing.”

Senator McConnell is insisting that the final legislation be afforded several weeks of debate pointing out that No Child Left Behind had seven weeks of consideration and the energy bill had eight. I suspect that the Democrats have learned their lesson though from this summer and will try to push this bill through as fast as possible so it’s nooks and crannies can’t be examined with a microscope and plastered for all to see on Fox News, talk radio and the conservative blogosphere.

The real key to turning the tide on this issue lies with America’s senior citizens. No one votes more consistently than the elderly and they will bear a solid brunt of whatever legislation Congress passes. The GOP will seek to pound into the public conscience of older Americans that Democrats plan to make deep cuts to their Medicare in order to pay for this legislation and that those cuts will have a clear and decisive impact on their ability to receive quality care.

Republicans also will seek to attack the claim that Democrat plans will keep the budget balanced. “The GOP will argue that no bill that relies on tax or fee increases can be considered deficit-neutral.” This could help stir a public already weary of repeated bailouts and gross mismanagement of their tax dollars though earmarks and wasteful spending to flood the Capitol with angry phone calls, letters, faxes and emails.

John Thune, Senate Republican Policy Committee Chair also makes an interesting point sure to pop-up in the forthcoming debate, “I don’t know how you can characterize anything as reform that raises premiums, raises health care costs, raises taxes and cuts Medicare for seniors.” Let’s just hope Americans are listening.