"And so it begins..."

As we might observe as President Obama calls on his health care law as a reason for reelection.

The President, at a campaign fundraiser in New York this week, implored the crowd to reelect him:

And so we're going to have to implement the Affordable Care Act in 2014, and that means I've got to win in 2012.

Meanwhile, a "very confident" Newt Gingrich targets the repeal of ObamaCare in his "Contract with America," remarking in an early debate that " if this President had any concern for working Americans he would walk in ... and ask us to repeal it because it's a monstrosity."

Gingrich would even let the President use a teleprompter in a debate because "if you had to defend ObamaCare, wouldn't you want to use a teleprompter?"

The President for the most part has avoided discussing ObamaCare in recent months because his strategists know it is a disaster. Democratic pollster Pat Caddell has observed that "the American people found this a crime against democracy...they want it repealed."

I look forward to watching the President explain again how a massive new bureaucracy will cut costs without hurting the old and infirm and the weak and helpless. Or explain why Catholics are being forced to act against their religious beliefs. Or defend 159 new boards and commissions. Or explain why premiums are going up and coverage going down.

And the President might also explain for those who came in late how the government decides who gets a waiver and who gets the blue pill.

But I will be most interested to hear the President tell the majority who want no part of ObamaCare that they are merely misguided and misled. Yes, it will be compelling and dramatic television to hear our elected leader inform us how wonderful life will be if we just take our medicine.

And how rosy life will be when the President can finally compel us to take such medicine.

Of course, the President will explain none of that, he will simply contend that he desperately needs to be reelected so he can finish the job, aka finish off limited government and individual liberty.

American opinion has consistently polled in favor of repeal. The latest Rasmussen survey of likely voters shows a 53-40 margin favoring repeal; the first such poll, after the law passed in March 2010, showed a 55-42 margin.

With a few spikes in favor of repeal along the way, the American appetite for repealing ObamaCare has not diminished, much to the dismay of the Democrats who tried to front load the so-called benefits so they could force-feed the rest of it to all of us bitter clingers.

Americans have long memories and tend to resist having the wool pulled over their eyes.

The battle over ObamaCare has been joined, and the President will have no choice but to attempt to defend it. No phony town halls and white lab coats this time.

If Newt emerges as the Republican candidate, his debates with Obama will be riveting pieces of ideological theatre, as the gravity of this election comes into full focus.