Michelle Obama steps into health care spotlight
President Barack Obama has struggled to sell his health care law this fall — and until now, he’s largely been without his top seller: first lady Michelle Obama.
The first lady has done little to promote the Affordable Care Act in recent months, marking a shift from her usual role as the president’s middle class messenger — a move that allowed her to sidestep the political battles over the law, and questions about the administration’s trustworthiness.
Now, with HealthCare.gov’s glitches mostly fixed, and pressure mounting for the administration to boost enrollment numbers — and the president’s approval ratings continuing to slump — she took on a new level of public involvement Wednesday, co-hosting a group of mothers in the Oval Office, and sitting solo for a round of interviews with African-American radio hosts.
“The first lady is the best salesperson” for the White House, senior adviser Valerie Jarrett told POLITICO. She’s getting involved now, Jarrett said, because she’s the right person to convey the message of the moment: that the uninsured — especially young people and minorities — should look for insurance on exchanges and that those with insurance are already feeling the benefits of the law.
As this phase continues, Obama will speak out more on health care, Jarrett said. People familiar with the White House’s plans expect more engagement by the first lady in 2014.
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http://www.politico.com/story/2013/12/michelle-obama-obamacare-101305.html
It worked so well for Hillary.