As has been widely noted, the fate of Obamacare hinges largely on whether young people can be persuaded to sign up for one of the health care exchanges. To do so, Howard Portnoy wrote here, would be to throw good money after bad since many Millennials — people between the ages of 18 and 34 — do not currently own health insurance and would come out ahead by paying the nuisance tax instead of enrolling.
Since the revenue needed to offset the cost of offering lower premiums to older Americans would not be realized, the program would collapse of its own weight.
Picking up on this theme, the conservative Millennial advocacy group, Generation Opportunity, has released an ad that seeks to convince young people of the pitfalls of signing up. But the reaction to ad on the part of right wing commentators suggests that GO may want to rethink their approach. Twitchy records multiple tweets by National Review Online’s Jim Geraghty, who writes:
Demonsheep no longer creepiest political ad in recent memory. http://natl.re/1bsZ7Ys pic.twitter.com/JqEJqaY1Rf
Rob Zombie just asked Generation Opportunity to tone it down a little, their new ad is freaking him out: http://natl.re/1bt0czj
“We’re Generation Opportunity, and we approved the nightmare you’re going to have tonight.” http://natl.re/1bt0czj
A Twitter follower who uses the handle EEÉ (D)anger is no less critical:
Someone tell Generation Opportunity they aren’t helping. Matter of fact, they look pretty damn stupid. http://news.yahoo.com/obamacare-battle-moves-to-college-campuses-200027191.html …
The liberal blogosphere is having a heyday with the ad, which features a character that has earned the nickname “Creepy Uncle Sam.” When you watch the ad, which is below, you’ll understand.
Chris Moody of Yahoo! News is one of the ad’s most vocal critics. He interviewed Generation Opportunity’s president, Evan Feinberg, who defended the ad, explaining:
What we’re trying to communicate is, ‘No, you’re actually not required to buy health insurance.’ You might have to pay a fine, but that’s going to be cheaper for you and better for you.
After slamming the ad, Moody writes:
Men don’t fare any better in Generation Opportunities [sic] horrific health care dystopia. In another video that uses the same premise, a young man visits a hospital and is told to curl up on the bed in the examination room. Just like the other ad, Creepy Uncle Sam appears out of nowhere and snaps on a pair of latex gloves for what is assumed to be a prostate exam.
So what is your reaction to the ad? We’d like to know.
