Apparently, people are not looking like they will sign up for Obamacare at anywhere near the levels necessary to sustain the illusion of public acceptance. We know this not because any data has been released, but rather by the self-evident desperation of the sales effort.  Just as a desperate drowning man flails his arms about, seeking to hold onto something that can save him, so has the Obamacare marketing team seized upon the cheapest of cheap tricks. Behold:

Yes, cute animals are a good reason to do something that will cost you more and degrade your health care. If there ever were a campaign targeted at low information, emotionally-swayed people,  this is it.

The only question is: what happens when this doesn't work? There are other hackneyed marketing gimmicks lower than cuddly critters, of course.  Sex sells, so maybe a bevy of Obama-supporting Hollywood beauties could disrobe for the cause, say Scarlett Johansson or Eva Longoria.  Or maybe the President will "move around" money, as has been done to come up with subsidies for Congressional staff health care, to offer that gimmick beloved of car dealers pushing unpopular models: CASH BACK!  Sign up for Obamacare and get an instant rebate.

There is no end to marketing ploys used for products the public rejects. But they all have a certain lipstick-on-a-pig air about them, and Obamacare is no different. As the efforts get more desperate, they will alternate between repulsive and humorous. The line between reality and satire fades fast when it comes to the selling by the government of a terrible product like Obamacare.

Update: Apparently somebody at the White House got embarrassed, and so they have issued a totally lame denial. Jennifer Epstein write in Politico:

It would have been a clever move for the White House or Organizing for Action to turn to cute animals and social media to try to draw attention to the start of the Affordable Care Act's registration period.

But both deny having any connection to the Adorable Care Act accounts on Twitter, Tumblr and Facebook that caught the attention of the political press -- and the White House -- on Thursday.

"The 'Adorable Care Act' Twitter and Tumblr accounts are not run by the White House," a White House official told POLITICO. "On social media channels, the White House highlights content from outside individuals, groups and organizations. The Adorable Care Act was highlighted by official White House channels as a creative way to raise awareness around the Affordable Care Act and HealthCare.gov." (emphasis added)

In fact, the White House's own Twitter account put out those images, and now they are distancing themselves. This gang can't take responsibiltiy for anything. And these people want to be in charge of deciding whether or not you get that hip replacement or chemotherapy.

Hat tip: Peter von Buol

Updated to reflect that signing up has not yet commenced.