I think that the Republicans may have done us an unintended favor by crashing the government on the exact same day that Americans are trying to sign up for the ACA. While the republicans will of course argue that the computers crashing/long waits are the result of generalized governmental incompetence I think most people will assume that it is somehow linked to the Republican party’s refusal to fund the government. This is precisely what you’d think if you weren’t really paying attention and did not understand the various funding formulas behind the actual roll out. Glitches and problems registering are to be expected when millions of people try to sign up for anything online simultaneously. IF it weren’t for the House Republicans millions of people wouldn’t even have known about the October first start date, and millions more would assume that it was just general governmental/DMV style incompentence. But right now? If you are trying to sign up and you are getting an error message you are probably just pissed off at Boehner et al because you think its all their fault the site is down.
Because pent up demand is so great, and because what is at issue is life and death, mere glitches and delays are not going to prevent anyone from signing up before the January 1st deadline. This will have zero effect on enrollment, no matter how the Republicans try to spin it. People are going to hear about someone they know getting a good deal on the exchanges, and they will try to get the same deal themselves all through the fall and winter.
