It serves as little surprise that the administration is not predicting website performance next month or how many people will sign up during the three months that follow. Last year, the site’s weeks-long failure compounded opponents’ message that the law wasn’t working. And by embracing the CBO’s enrollment target, the White House found itself boxed in with a political goal to meet, even if the figures didn’t really have any policy significance.

Even Obamacare critics say they’re not surprised the administration is downplaying expectations.

“I certainly can’t fault them for being circumspect,” said Rep. Michael Burgess (R-Texas), one of the law’s loudest critics on Capitol Hill. “I would do the same if I was in the situation,” he said, given last year’s collapse.

Yet there are signs that the technology could be appreciably better this time around.