Tamping Down ObamaCare Expectations

The term witching hour refers to the time of day when creatures such as witches, demons, and ghosts are thought to appear and to be at their most powerful and black magic to be most effective. It may be used to refer to any arbitrary time of bad luck or in which something bad has a greater likelihood to occur.

Witching Hour Explanation

As the  October 1 ObamaCare witching hour approaches, the time when health exchange signup begins, Democrats and Republicans are tamping down expectations.

Democrats are saying:  don’t expect miracles.   With a complicated national law of such magnitude,  glitches,  bumps in the road, screw-ups, adjustments,  and delays are to be expected.   Don’t panic if a stampede to sign up for ObamaCare doesn’t occur.   Wait and see how many sign up in six months, even a year. Their spokespersons then add,  it may even take 2 or 3 years to see what will eventually happen (Jennifer Haverhon,  “Obama D-Day Becomes a Soft Launch,” Politico,  September 14, 2013).  Be humble.  With a launch this size,  we have a lot to be humble about.

Republicans are saying: with a Democratic Senate,  we will not be able to defund the whole thing,  not now anyway.  Wait until the midterm results in November 2014. The best we can hope for is a one year delay in exchange for keeping the government open by extending the time needed to raise the government debt ceiling.   Yes, we are bothered, bewitched, and bewildered by a health plan that the public disapproves of by a 12% margin,  that comes at all time of all time low (42%) trusting government to handle health  care, and that is riddled with exemptions for political cronies.  Perhaps, given time, even if goes into effect, Republicans hope  the law will collapse of its own weight and unworkability.

Tweet:   Both political parties are lowering expectations and altering strategies as to what, if anything, to do about ObamaCare before October 1.