I was wrong about the Obama administration being eggheaded Jedis of the nth degree. They placed too much faith in the Grassley-Baucus negotiations, and too little faith in their own base, and that's where they got in trouble. I placed too much faith in them. They weren't that smart or that wise, but this time it worked out for them.
What were they smoking!? Wrong as I was, the improved prognosis for reform is unchanged. Stirring up the Left netroots and getting GOP leadership to admit that there's no deal changes the entire dynamic. The GOP's PR offensive was at its shrillest when no one was looking and no one was cutting any real deals in Congress. That kind of wave is high amplitude, but low frequency. They put all their energies towards sinking the effort in August, and now they will struggle to keep up that level of panic. Now only 21 percent of the public has any trust in them as health reformers, and many see them as liars and fearmongers. They have said themselves that this is about politics, not compromise.
After so much rancor on all sides, the public is now watching this debate with a level of critical thinking and intensity I've never seen.
This is far from over, but we're closer than ever to a decent set of reforms that put the country in the right direction. Let's hope they play a smart game in the weeks and months between now and a bill on the President's desk.
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