Credibility Lost: Poll reveals Americans not taking Obamacare deadlines seriously

Having demonstrated that the provisions of Obamacare are subject to revision whenever the president deems it politically convenient, the American people have concluded that they don't really need to take seriously the deadlines of the law.

Barack Obama and his signature legislative achievement are facing the "fool me twice" problem - as in "Fool me once: shame on you; fool me twice: shame on me."

A poll from Bankrate provides the unsurprising - yet still startling - data, via Fiscal Times and Yahoo News:

Enrollment in the exchanges jumped significantly ahead of the December 24 cutoff to receive coverage taking effect on Jan. 1. But the next deadline doesn't seem to be resonating among the public yet. (snip)

"Many Americans are not taking the deadline to sign up for Obamacare seriously," Bankrate.com insurance analyst Doug Whiteman said in a statement. Indeed. Some 62 percent of Americans who are aware of the deadline believe the government will push it back to a later date.

But only a minority is even aware of the deadline, meaning they have just tuned out on Obamacare, not taking it seriously:

55 percent still aren't aware of the March 31 health care sign up deadline through the exchanges.

While Obamacare is the immediate subject, credibility loss is a much broader phenomenon. Having proclaimed a red line in Syria and then backed away from it, overseas leaders no longer take Obama seriously, either. Unfortunately, the consequences of that loss are potentially devastating.

 

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