After the events of the last two months, and the smackdown that President Obama got the last time that he held a press conference on Obamacare, it was notable that after declaring “victory” on fixing the website’s problems (despite the fact that they continually redefined what “victory” would look like when it came to the website), the president decided to have a pep rally for Obamacare today.  This was no press conference, these were “prepared remarks.”  Even MSNBC, who covered the whole of the president’s talk live, tagged it as a “Presidential PR Pitch.”

Everyone seems to acknowledge that this is the administration’s new PR run at selling Obamacare to the American public.  The president even addressed that directly when he said, “We’re just getting started… if we have to fight for another 3 years” to get Obamacare accepted and working, “we will.”

“Do not let the initial problems with the website discourage you,” the president told the handpicked assembly of true believers who were applauding.  He encouraged people to “get the word out” – tell their family members, friends, co-workers, anyone who they think needs to be sold on Obamacare and signed up for health insurance.  He lauded several examples and anecdotes from “average Americans,” which I’m sure, now that they have been mentioned by name by the president, we will be hearing more about from other media outlets in upcoming days.

A couple of takeaways from the pep rally:

First, the president has decided that this really is his “signature legislation” and he is going to fight tooth and nail to keep it.  He said as much when he proclaimed, “We’re not repealing it (Obamacare) as long as I am president.”  Despite his claims that he is willing to work “with anyone” to make it better (even as he scorns his critics and demands specifics on how to make things better – a website that could handle peak traffic would help, Mr. President), he is planting himself and his legacy squarely on Obamacare.  Since he is not running for office ever again, he can do this.  The GOP leadership should take note, and make Democrats live with his decisions.

Second, the president said (and his Twitter account tweeted it out as well), that “100 million insured Americans have gained access to preventative care to help them stay healthy at no out of pocket cost.”  This is an interesting sleight of hand.  Under Obamacare, all yearly physicals and well-child visits are exempt from copays and are automatically covered by insurance.  However, that does not apply to doctor visits when you are sick.  The magic words in the president’s statement are “preventative care.”  That’s your ten to fifteen minutes with a nurse, and maybe five to ten minutes with a doctor, just to check in and run the annual tests.  And that’s if your doctor decides to even take whatever insurance plan you now have, or continues to practice medicine altogether.  When you are actually sick, or you need a specialist, bring the checkbook.  Those are the visits that are going to cost you in copays, deductibles, coinsurance, and fees.  And that 100 million number does not even address the ever expanding Medicaid rolls.

And this is apparently the first pep rally of many planned in this new PR offensive to sell the new-and-improved Obamacare to the public.  We won’t hear about the massive security problems with the website, or the news just breaking that 1/3 of the applications submitted to health insurers are so riddled with errors that those who thought they were going to be insured really aren’t.

No hating allowed at the presidential pep rallies.  No hard questions.  In fact, don’t ask him any questions at all.  In the manner of Yul Brynner’s Rameses, he has proclaimed, “so let it be written, so let it be done,” and walked off the stage.