Just as public opinion is starting to favor the Democratic party, their new website aimed at helping Americans purchase insurance, Healthcare.gov, has gotten off to a more than rocky start. Several glitches on the website include everything from simply logging in to nonworking calculators. How does this happen? While Healthcare.gov is not the only source for purchasing health insurance, an overwhelming number of people have flooded the sight, and supporters of the website claim this as the reason for the glitches. Nevertheless, the website has become the laughingstock of late night Television. Late night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel joked about the failure of the website launch, saying, “If you are in need of health care, you have two choices. You can wait for them to get the site fixed, or you can enroll in medical school, graduate, then just take care of yourself, which will probably be faster.” Comedian Jon Stewart also ridiculed the website, spending three segments of his show making fun of the glitches on the site and its "less than ten percent success rate."According to an article by the Washington Post, comedians such as Jon Stewart do have an affect on approval ratings. The article cited a poll showing Jon Stewart holding the second highest percentage of young viewers ages 18 to 24. As the article points out, the glitches and issues surrounding Healthcare.gov could negatively affect the Democrats rising approval rating.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2013/10/22/how-jon-stewart-became-president-obamas-biggest-problem/
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2013/10/22/jimmy-kimmel-on-obamacare-web-site-problems-video/
I liked the Jimmy Kimmel joke! But in all seriousness they do have an effect on approval ratings and what the public hears. And just as you said, the Democrats are off to a rocky start and the glitches with obamacare are not helping their case.
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