The mainstream media have been treating the Affordable Care Act with kid gloves, according to Noel Sheppard, associate editor of the media-watchdog website Newsbusters.
"This is [President Barack Obama's] signature piece of legislation. The media wants it to succeed," Sheppard told "The Steve Malzberg Show" on Newsmax TV.
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Sheppard believes that so far, the implementation of the law is "not looking good" — something that Obama wants to downplay to Americans.
"To a certain extent it's very possible that this is why Obama wanted the [government] shutdown — because he wanted there to be news to take away from the disaster," Sheppard said.
"You have to agree, if there were a lot of people that signed up … we would know. They'd be crowing."
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