I suppose this really shows the disconnect between the Republicans and the American people, who both need and want more affordable healthcare. The Republican response to the health-care crisis has essentially been, “Let them eat cake!” and they thought that would make the basis for an effective spot of propaganda. Instead it seems to have instead provoked a response of, “Well, I am awfully hungry.”
Oh it’s worse than that. They’ve even tried to say, “the government can’t push you around! Say no!” Because affordable commercial health insurance is for sheep! And communists! And… and communist sheep!
There was even a push to get College Republicans to burn their Obamacare cards. Sadly, it turns out there is no such thing as an Obamacare card.
I’m amazed how effective they were at getting the term “Obamacare” to stick.
The reversed effect was necessary because one of the biggest early attacks to the program was the slash to the funding for public information and advertising. Part of the reason the state program in Massachusetts (Romneycare) was so successful was that they got rapid, high enrollment rates thanks to a terrific ad campaign.
In an attempt to kill the PPACA, that part of the funding was quashed.
Amusing factoid: The similar effort by the Clintons was demonized as Hillarycare. Opponents sought to hang the law around the president’s neck like an albatross by calling it Obamacare. Now that it’s popular the president uses that term himself. Meanwhile, some Republicans are trying to come up with a new insult - but having little success.
Yep, when they did to Hillary she ducked, and it was a mistake. Obama accepted the name, and that was the trick - midstream they tried to change it, but failed. Ultimately all they could do was change the MA Health Initiative into “Romneycare” - during the election race so Romney could try to take credit for the PPACA which he’d fought against at a national level. It’s quite true that the pilot program was in his state, but he railed against the PPACA.
To extend my metaphor, it’s “The government is trying to give you bread, just because you’re starving! Why be subjected to bread when you can buy yourself some cake?!” They were expecting the ignorance of the “keep bakeries away from my bread” contingent of the Republican party to be shared by Americans as a whole.
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