Throw the Thanksgiving tofurkey through the plate glass window

[Adam]

Team Obama: Thanksgiving dinner the perfect time to promote ObamaCare

Worried about those awkward family moments around the Thanksgiving table? Why not break the ice with a conversation about ObamaCare?

That's the advice this holiday season from the folks at President Obama's campaign arm, which is circulating a script -- of sorts -- for people to use in order to advance the cause of Affordable Care Act enrollment.

Organizing for Action has launched a site, called "Health Care for the Holidays," urging ObamaCare supporters to "have the talk" with their family about signing up for health insurance.

"It might not always seem like it, but your family listens to you. So have the talk," OFA advises.

The administration did not meet its sign-up targets in October. So if team Obama gets its way, the sales pitch will start anew at the Thanksgiving table.

It's a new tactic: astrotofuking.

[phillygirl]

George Orwell would be proud.

[Billy Jingo]

My family already has health insurance.

And I have a feeling all they will talk about is deer hunting. Except for my nephew, Alan. He has gone bird crazy and all he wants to talk about is duck hunting.

[scott]

Progressives are so tone-deaf.

This is going to backfire huge.

[Gingersnap]

Maybe we're just weird but we don't discuss personal finance over holiday meals and that's what this discussion would be about.

Besides, wouldn't most of the discussion be about people's fears over losing a plan they like? I haven't done a survey but random conversations in my family have been about that. Two family members have gone to the exchange (both self-employed) and came away very unhappy about their options (they didn't sign up). A few others expect their employers will dump them when the time comes. The rest of us expect big rate increases.

I can't imagine that most of the conversations among working families would be much different.

[Billy Jingo]

Maybe we're just weird but we don't discuss personal finance over holiday meals and that's what this discussion would be about.

Besides, wouldn't most of the discussion be about people's fears over losing a plan they like? I haven't done a survey but random conversations in my family have been about that. Two family members have gone to the exchange (both self-employed) and came away very unhappy about their options (they didn't sign up). A few others expect their employers will dump them when the time comes. The rest of us expect big rate increases.

I can't imagine that most of the conversations among working families would be much different.

I'm not sure if you are aware of this but employers, and health insurance companies, were dumping people prior to the ACA. And people were worried about it.

[phillygirl]

We rarely talk politics as a family at holidays. If we do, it's because I bring it up...and that's just because sometimes I like to be an asshole and irritate everyone. Mostly if I'm bored.

[phillygirl]

I'm not sure if you are aware of this but employers, and health insurance companies, were dumping people prior to the ACA. And people were worried about it.

From what I can see based on our plans at work, the changes in the law have really hurt the middle class the most. The high wage earners can weather the increases in the costs. The poor can get help. The middle class takes the hit.

[Gingersnap]

I'm not sure if you are aware of this but employers, and health insurance companies, were dumping people prior to the ACA. And people were worried about it.

You'd be surprised at just how much I was aware of it since I'm part of the team who decides those very things for our employees. Our employees weren't actually worried about being dumped into the self-insure market until last year.

That will shock you, I know.

Incredibly, we had no incentives to do that and it would have made us a less desirable in the recruitment market. That's pretty much all changed now. That's pretty much all changed for a lot of employers.

[Frostbit]

If there was even one medical professional in the family at that table the holiday would go right down the shitter with the mentioning of the ACA.

[Adam]

We rarely talk politics as a family at holidays. If we do, it's because I bring it up...and that's just because sometimes I like to be an asshole and irritate everyone. Mostly if I'm bored.

We save that for Christmas Eve. After everyone has gorged on food, the brothers and my father get together, get really drunk, shout a lot, and by the time the toys are (somewhat) assembled and under the tree, we have usually solved most of the world's problems. Of course, none of us can quite remember just what those solutions were come morning, but where would the fun be in that? What would we do next year if there were no problems to solve?

From what I can see based on our plans at work, the changes in the law have really hurt the middle class the most. The high wage earners can weather the increases in the costs. The poor can get help. The middle class takes the hit.

Any time you (the Royal You) try to soak the rich, it's always the middle class who winds up all wet.

[Billy Jingo]

From what I can see based on our plans at work, the changes in the law have really hurt the middle class the most. The high wage earners can weather the increases in the costs. The poor can get help. The middle class takes the hit.

Everything is anecdotal at this point. I will give you two.

Prior to the ACA, we were getting monster increases every year; as much as 20%. To the point where the executive team was discussing how we drop health insurance in favor of some bare bones catastrophic shit if it continued. The last few years, the increases (last year was a decrease), have been flat. Next year is about 2% which the company can absorb.

Family. My sister was pleased to find out she could keep my nephew on her policy after he graduates from high school.

Two middle class people who are not fucked.

Are there people getting screwed? I am sure there are. You need to entertain the possibility that for some, it works. I am not sure Ginger can.

[phillygirl]

Everything is anecdotal at this point. I will give you two.

Prior to the ACA, we were getting monster increases every year; as much as 20%. To the point where the executive team was discussing how we drop health insurance in favor of some bare bones catastrophic shit if it continued. The last few years, the increases (last year was a decrease), have been flat. Next year is about 2% which the company can absorb.

Family. My sister was pleased to find out she could keep my nephew on her policy after he graduates from high school.

Two middle class people who are not fucked.

Are there people getting screwed? I am sure there are. You need to entertain the possibility that for some, it works. I am not sure Ginger can.

We got a 7% increase overall. Individually, some employees got a 25% increase.

We liked our health insurance. We didn't get to keep it.

[Billy Jingo]

We got a 7% increase overall. Individually, some employees got a 25% increase.

We liked our health insurance. We didn't get to keep it.

You were very fortunate. I don't believe we ever got to keep ours.

[phillygirl]

You were very fortunate. I don't believe we ever got to keep ours.

We were fortunate, overall.