It’s certainly true that some of the fight we’ve seen this summer over health care reform is about protecting the profits of insurance companies, insurance companies who make their money by denying you coverage. It’s also true that there’s a strong ideological component to it. There are laissez faire types who genuinely believe that greater government interference will reduce the quality of care. There’s also a republican strategy of obstructing whatever Obama tries to do and appealing to the fringe crazies who think he’s an illegitimate president. But what this is really about is plain, old electoral politics. The Republicans understand something that seems to elude a lot of the democratic party and the progressive blogosphere. It’s a simple thing. When Democratic social programs subsidize the quality of life of middle class and working class Americans, they win their votes. Just like when Republican and Democratic policies subsidize the bottom lines of different industries, they win those industries’ support. The difference between the two parties is that while both are content to subsidize the hell out of corporate America, only one has even a passing interest in subsidizing American families. A successful, overtly government run health care option would give the Democrats a lock on congress for several sessions if they can get it implemented before they’re voted out. A single payer plan would give them control of congress for a generation, but they lack both the vision and courage to seize that opportunity.

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