Well i am caught by two statements really:

"To use a favorite simile of the right, Obama is acting the part of Neville Chamberlain, thinking that he can cut deals with people who take no prisoners..."

I certain believe this. I certainly believe that the right in this country do not care about credulity, about the welfare of this country, about 'working within the system' when they are out of power.

The other point has to do with a siege mentality--from our friend Kruger. THIS IS GOING TO BE A LONG AND BLOODY FIGHT. And if the repubs sell their parallel universe to the 'independents' starting next November, WE ARE ALL GOING TO BE SCREWED.

Quote from the book The Presidents by Carter Smith and published by Hylas Press:

"Washington skillfully balanced the opposing interests in the country. Despite his deep regret that political parties grew out of the opposing camps within his own administration, he worked hard to instill in his contemporaries a sense of the national union, bearing in mind what he saw has the best interests of future Americans or the "unborn millions" as he called them."

If you read the history of George Washington, his greatest worry and indeed, now prophecy, was eventually political parties (of which we only have two so by virtue of only having two of anything you are either together or divided and two cannot possibly represent the vast diversity of political persuasions in 2009 so I would call this a vast failure and ridiculous that in 2009 we only have two parties which is why we must register DECLINE TO STATE so we kill the two party system and please, you third party moles who only come out during Presidential elections otherwise you don't give a rats ass about third or fourth or fifth parties in this country, give me a break and where in the hell was I and why do I always do this..?). The prophecy of George Washington that eventually the party system in his new republic would tear it apart is now coming true.

It is coming true while George Washington rolls in his grave.

Here's where I differ. The progressives didn't hear: "Yes We Can" they heard: "Yes I Can"

David,

This post, IMHO is, without question, one of your best and I try to read all your posts. Not only is it insightful and from my viewpoint accurate, it's very very reasonable and well thought out in all respects. It would be hard to label you as just being another dogmatic liberal/lefty.

One of the biggest problems we face though is Obama's naivete about just who and what the Republicans really are and his stubborn refusal to acknowledge that we are, in fact, waging a war with them over the future of the nation yet the opposition is the only side fighting thus far. As you so deftly point out, there is no common ground any longer upon which to meet them half way and though it was not our choice it is the reality and if we fail to deal with it we do so at our peril.

If Obama fails to deal with that reality and produces another Chamberlainesque tome to a bipartisan fantasy that never was or will be, millions who believed in him will no longer be able to avoid concluding he is just another politician and not what he purported to be. They will become completely disillusioned and alienated when they realize they were manipulated and our long awaited moment will have been lost.

I'll join you in eating crow if he comes out swinging next week, but there's simply no evidence thus far in his performance as President that would indicate we'll see more than a timid, tepid, uninspiring cave-in to the powerful as we have seen on war crimes and other rampant corruption during the Bush years, the banking bailout and giveaway, the refusal to do anything effective to stem the foreclosure crisis, the unconscionable continuation of the two wars and escalation of the Afghanistan quagmire, the complete failure to support labor and push EFCA through Congress, the watered down cap and trade bill, etc... Like you, I'm skeptical but open to being proved wrong and hope I am.

Regardless, great post! Keep em coming!

The very beginning of the word "progressives" is progress. The quantity of progress we will be able to achieve here is currently limited by the Senate, and even looking back before November at the likely makeup of the new Senate, the Democrats were not going to get the votes. I see no reason to blame Obama. Yet.

There is a mid-term election in 2010. Take a look at who is up and compare it to those known to be opposed to the public option, for example:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Senate_elections,_2010

You can do the same for 2012.

Have an idea of the work we need to do?

David, you're absolutely correct that this is worth a fight. And if I were a progressive in MT, AR, or any of the other Senate boat anchor states I'd be faxing handwritten notes.

President Obama has been around for just over 8 months. A battle may be lost for the public option this month, but there is much more time to get it done.

And as clearthinker implies, the real challenge ahead is energy. If you think there are forces against progress in healthcare, wait until the climate change legislation is up. Keep digging, folks.

It seems what passes for the left in the USA fails to understand is that, no matter how moderate their proposals are, no matter how far they bend over backwards to appear centrist, (or how, after lowering their drawers they bend over forwards), that the right-wing smear machine, cum lie-factory is going to paint those mild proposals as communist, socialist or nazi or all three at once.

I would say that it is as well to be hung for a sheep as a lamb.

In my mind anything that doesn't include public option is not a real public health plan. There are millions of Americans that aren't covered at all and receive no regular treatment and preventive check-ups from a GP, and this is bad for the health of the entire country... it is possible for rich people to catch diseases from poor people you know, unfair, but true. Therefore taking care of the most vulnerable is a very wise move by the least vulnerable, viruses being what they are.

Most developed countries understand this, but it appears that many Americans are either too dumb or too manipulated to get it.