TPM is passing along an interesting study from Brookings that is dripping in schradenfreude:
In fact, after controlling for other state characteristics such as low per capita income population and average insurance premiums, I observe a positive association between the anti-ACA spending and ACA enrollment. This implies that anti-ACA ads may unintentionally increase the public awareness about the existence of a governmentally subsidized service and its benefits for the uninsured.
I think this is a case of trying not to think about the elephant after being told about the elephant. People in states that were getting Koch bombed, knew about the Exchanges, knew they existed and could do something about that, while people in states where the Kochs weren’t trying to block access to affordable, subsidized private market health insurance (doesn’t that sound absurd when it is put that way), awareness was lower as they were never told to not think about the elephant.