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When the history of the Obama era is written, there's a chance — a tiny, dumb chance — that Zach Galifianakis' made-up, obnoxious not-on-TV TV show will merit a footnote.
The once-unlikely series of events that would lead to that distinction would go like this:
- The Affordable Care Act is President Obama's signature policy and primary legislative accomplishment.
- The law's goal is to make health care more affordable to more people by changing the composition of the pool of people who are insured — meaning getting more healthy people paying premiums and using fewer services. Young people tend to be healthy people.
- The crummy roll-out of Healthcare.gov delayed the push to get young people to sign up, meaning that older people have been overrepresented.
- So the administration reaches out to Galifianakis, and books an appearance on Between Two Ferns. It is well-received, mostly.
In the dream scenario for Obama, it then progresses like this:
- Enrollments spike as young people learn more about the program.
- Insurers are happy with the pool of people. The system quickly becomes economically stable. Millions of Americans gain insurance.
- Obamacare becomes a staple of the social safety net, a sacrosanct public system akin to Medicare.
- Obama's presidency escapes the Jimmy Carter legacy.