Tuesday, October 01, 2013

The Law of Unintended Consequences

I think that the Republicans may have done us an unintended favor by crashing the government on the exact same day that Americans are trying to sign up for the ACA. While the republicans will of course argue that the computers crashing/long waits are the result of generalized governmental incompetence I think most people will assume that it is somehow linked to the Republican party’s refusal to fund the government. This is precisely what you’d think if you weren’t really paying attention and did not understand the various funding formulas behind the actual roll out. Glitches and problems registering are to be expected when millions of people try to sign up for anything online simultaneously. IF it weren’t for the House Republicans millions of people wouldn’t even have known about the October first start date, and millions more would assume that it was just general governmental/DMV style incompentence. But right now? If you are trying to sign up and you are getting an error message you are probably just pissed off at Boehner et al because you think its all their fault the site is down.

Because pent up demand is so great, and because what is at issue is life and death, mere glitches and delays are not going to prevent anyone from signing up before the January 1st deadline. This will have zero effect on enrollment, no matter how the Republicans try to spin it.  People are going to hear about someone they know getting a good deal on the exchanges, and they will try to get the same deal themselves all through the fall and winter.

2 comments:

Victor said...

In the speech the President is finishing, he mentioned that the health care website had over a million hits before 7am.

And he said that was more than ever hit the Medicare website.

Republicans could have been adults, and thanked their Democratic Congressional colleagues for choosing their Republican Heritage Foundation Plan, instead of trying for single-payer, Medicare=for-all, and said they would work hard to make sure that the new law was as successful as they knew it could be.

BUT NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!

Instead, they pulled "Death Panels" out of Sarah Palins sorry sagging ass, and other bullshit, and had an epic hissy-fit that would be the envy of 2 year-olds, the world over.

If they were capable of shame, after what the President just said about them, then they'd sure feel some.
Instead, I'm sure they're not done high-fiving and toasting one another.

aimai said...

Actually, I'm pretty sure that all those reports of just how much drinking they were doing last night are signs that its all "Dutch Courage" with these guys. Boehner looked drunk and uncomfortable last night and the woman standing behind him looked like she either thought she was going to be pelted with rotten tomatoes or like she was nerving herself to catch him when he collapsed backwards into her arms trying to pivot to run away. They are cowards who needed cover and social pressure to manage to keep voting in lock step. I'm pretty sure that when they are alone, not in a crowd, they are extremely nervous.