Organizing for Action tries to make the holidays all about Obamacare

The non-profit, formerly President Barack Obama’s campaign engine, is pushing its “Health Care for the Holidays” effort. The movement encourages Americans to tell their loved ones about signing up for health insurance.

“If you have family members who are uninsured, you can play a big part in helping them find coverage that works for them,” the website reads. “It might not always seem like it, but your family listens to you. So have the talk.”

The OFA website also lists actions steps, such as sending “a packing list,” planning your talk and initiating the conversation. There are even suggestions about where to have the talk — “Make it memorable!” — and when to do it, such as after meals.

During Monday night’s OFA phone call, the President also encouraged listeners to tell their family and friends about Obamacare at holiday parties this season.

“As we go into this holiday season, we have to remember the conversations that we’ve got around the dinner table, when we’re talking to co-workers at Christmas parties, when we’re out there in our communities, our churches, our synagogues, all our places of worship — now is the time to remind people…” he told those tuning in.

Aside from awkwardly making conversations about health insurance sound like ‘the talk’ about sex, the campaign attempts to pull the focus away from the real meaning of the holiday season. But it’s highly unlikely that Americans, regardless of what holidays they celebrate, are going to spend their time with family focusing on a such hotly contested political issue. Politics, religion and incredibly personal topics are usually avoided altogether at holiday gatherings.

The trick of using the holidays to push an agenda assuredly isn’t new. Countless organizations and retailers utilize that strategy every year.

But the fact that OFA chose this tactic shows exactly how desperate the group is to ensure that Obamacare succeeds.