Inside the Obamacare Spin Zone

[Geee]

National Review:

Yesterday, the White House issued a new “study” on the supposed progress states have made in implementing the “health exchanges” that are central to constructing the Obamacare system. According to the administration’s spin, some 28 states are “on their way” toward establishing the exchanges, so everything is apparently well under control. In other words, nothing to worry about here. Full speed ahead!

But is that really what’s going on here?

Because, even if one were to accept the White House’s accounting (which one shouldn’t), that would mean that 22 states — roughly 40 percent of the country — are not “on their way” toward erecting the Obamacare exchanges. Isn’t that a problem? Further, upon closer inspection, it’s clear that many of the 28 states that are supposedly “on their way” really aren’t “on their way.” That’s just comical White House spin, in which the truly inconsequential — the acceptance of minor federal grant money, or the setting up of a committee to “study” the question — is elevated into a sure sign that Obamacare is a fait accompli. It’s ridiculous.

A more accurate description of what is going would go like this: The bluest of blue states (and the District of Columbia) are, not surprisingly, moving ahead with Obamacare implementation, and are at various stages in the process. That list includes California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington. In addition, three states — Colorado, Nevada, and West Virginia — that tend to be more competitive politically (that is, they aren’t simply red or blue states) are nonetheless moving ahead with some form of exchange that, at the moment at least, looks to be roughly consistent with what the administration has in mind. So the administration can rightly claim 15 states are more or less playing ball with them.

But with the other 35 states, the picture is very, very different.