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Obama's Katrina
Nov. 18th, 2013 09:07 amI have heard told that the current snafu with the Obamacare website is “Obama’s Katrina.” I remember Katrina, and I don’t recall the government getting shut down to defund FEMA or 30+ states refusing to cooperate with FEMA, nor do I see people stranded on rooftops yelling for help health insurance.
On the other hand, it’s definitely a screw-up, and it’s on Obama. Now, it’s mostly a computer screw-up, and the list of large organizations that botched a computer roll-out is, well, large. But that’s an excuse, not a fix, and the Obama administration needs to get it fixed.
Yet somehow I doubt this will have the impact on Obama or politics in general that Katrina did. As I recall things, Katrina was the latest in a string of screw-ups. There were two wars both of which were going to hell in hand basket, and Bush came back from vacation to insert himself and his party in the Terry Schiavo mess. Like I said, Bush was developing a reputation for screw-ups, which Obama has not.
I’m also not sure about the impact of this on the 2014 elections. As an IT guy, it’s impossible for me to believe that the web site won’t be operational by the spring if not sooner, and we won’t vote until November. That’s an eternity in politics. I would also note that cuts both ways – last month the progressive types were banking on winning back the House on the back of the government shutdown.
In short, this too will pass.
On the other hand, it’s definitely a screw-up, and it’s on Obama. Now, it’s mostly a computer screw-up, and the list of large organizations that botched a computer roll-out is, well, large. But that’s an excuse, not a fix, and the Obama administration needs to get it fixed.
Yet somehow I doubt this will have the impact on Obama or politics in general that Katrina did. As I recall things, Katrina was the latest in a string of screw-ups. There were two wars both of which were going to hell in hand basket, and Bush came back from vacation to insert himself and his party in the Terry Schiavo mess. Like I said, Bush was developing a reputation for screw-ups, which Obama has not.
I’m also not sure about the impact of this on the 2014 elections. As an IT guy, it’s impossible for me to believe that the web site won’t be operational by the spring if not sooner, and we won’t vote until November. That’s an eternity in politics. I would also note that cuts both ways – last month the progressive types were banking on winning back the House on the back of the government shutdown.
In short, this too will pass.
