President Obama is an experienced campaigner and knows the value of co-signs, frequently tapping into his Rolodex of admirers in the pop culture realm to give his ratings a boost and spread his message.
Now that he's been nationally elected twice, his next campaign is implementing Obamacare, and the President may lean on the NBA to help him spread the word. The NBA season almost perfectly aligns with the six-month window that is open for potential patients to sign up for the new healthcare plan (mostly young, single males). Additionally, the demographic audience for the NBA lines up reasonably well with those Obamacare is trying to help.
It's not the first time sports have been used to promote government initiatives, despite the potential for polarization or alienation that comes with politics. Former Gov. Mitt Romney received help from the Boston Red Sox as he was implementing his health care plan in Massachusetts (Hey, it's almost like he's actually in office!).
Via Politico:
“You just can’t be a smoker and be obese or heavy … and be a basketball player. These folks are kind of the picture of youth and health, and in some ways, that’s the target audience,” said Jon Kingsdale, appointed by then-Gov. Mitt Romney in 2006 to oversee the implementation of the Massachusetts health law.
Officials from the White House and from the NBA declined to comment.
