Roberts’ ridiculous contortions to justify the mandate are very much out-of-character.
I am suspicious there are other, unspoken reasons for his decision.
Listening to various pundits, one, who said he knows Roberts said Roberts and his wife are very committed Catholics. So I guess the prospect of millions of people without insurance, especially if they are already ill might have influenced his choice. Also, the idea of people free-loading by getting mandated care at emergency rooms and the rest of us being forced to pay for this might have been an influence. Another pundit last week said that Roberts would not want to have the legacy like Renquist who voted in support of Bush vs. Gore.
Regarding not doing anything. I was looking at other sites to see the arguments raised. One person who identified as a conservative Republican pointed out that choosing to not do something means you choose to do something else. Rent, don’t buy, you choose to pay higher taxes, The example I gave above of forcing others to pay your medical bills if you need an emergency room visit. Not getting married, never having the joy/heartbreak of your own children, etc.