God only knows what kind of threats and intimidation went on behind the scenes, what ever it was it worked.

(Reuters) – The White House on Tuesday kicked off a six-month campaign to encourage millions of Americans to sign up for health coverage under “Obamacare,” an effort in which the president and other political celebrities promote the law’s promise of subsidized health coverage.

But the massive public education campaign faces a long, difficult slog to persuade nearly 3 million healthy young people with low to moderate incomes to purchase private insurance. Many of them live in conservative, Republican-led states where opponents are spending millions of dollars to discourage enrollment in Obamacare’s new, online health insurance marketplaces beginning October 1.

In promoting his signature legislative achievement on Tuesday, President Barack Obama sought to leverage his popularity among young adults by joining former President Bill Clinton – who also is popular with that age group – for a “conversation” in New York about healthcare.

First lady Michelle Obama and Vice President Joe Biden also are joining the Obamacare campaign, with separate appearances elsewhere. On Wednesday, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton – who as first lady two decades ago led an unsuccessful attempt to revamp the U.S. healthcare system – will speak about healthcare at the annual meeting of the Clinton Global Initiative, her family’s nonprofit foundation.

The effort coincides with an expected $1 billion marketing initiative from health insurers, hospitals and health systems, as well as public outreach efforts by groups ranging from AARP, churches and charities to the Walgreen and CVS pharmacy chains, officials said.