Thanks for ruining my Christmas, Obamacare

Now I’ll have to defend a web site over dinner.

Everyone has their problems with the Affordable Care Act. It’s not big enough; it’s too big; it’s too complicated; it’s not specific enough; it costs too much; it doesn’t cover enough people; no one will ever sign up for it; too many people have to sign up for it; and on and on. But it’s the law, now, so some of those problems fall into the “too bad, so sad, better vote next time” category. The rollout of the ACA, however, has introduced a new crop of problems for which I would seek immediate medical attention if my current workplace-provided health plan didn’t suck.

One of these problems is, simply, that the crappy web site issues are absolutely going to ruin my holidays.

This isn’t a sad story. Really. My only preexisting conditions happen to be a set of in-laws who, though I love them dearly, reside at the opposite end of the political spectrum from where I spend most of my days, and 12 days of Christmas that I’ll be spending at their house. For all 12 days, I will be hearing not just Christmas music but also the sesasonal holiday joys of CNBC running in the background and a subtle but running commentary on the great failure that is Every Liberal Policy.

This commentary, by the way, tastes just delectable over a home-cooked meal of “I just don’t think twenty-somethings are going to sign up for health care!” with a side of “You know, this is robbing your children and my grandchildren of all fiscal hope for the future” and just a hint of “hundreds of thousands of people thought they could keep their insurance, and now they can’t! And they can’t even log on to get it fixed!”

I can defend liberal policy quietly, politely, but pretty firmly while enjoying my whole-berry cranberry sauce and homemade buckeyes, and usually I can do it in a way that makes sure no one else gets indigestion, but this Web site mess? That, I can’t defend. So, for Christmas this year, thanks to the president, I plan to eat my mother-in-law’s delicious vegetable lasagna, my weight in peanut clusters, and a pretty substantial serving of crow.

Thanks, Obamacare!