I'd feel better about touting this poll showing 73 percent of Americans want a public health insurance option if I could find the poll language somewhere. What you can say though is that the case for the public insurance option is a lot more straightforward than the case against it. The issue's supporters are simply arguing that individuals should have a choice that's not private insurance. The opposition worries that a public insurance option will use Medicare payment rates and increased market share to create an "unlevel playing field" and outcompete private insurance forcing Aetna out of business in 2023 or so. And even if they win that argument, they still have to convince the public that Aetna going out of business would be a bad thing. On the other hand, the opposition will probably not make that case to the public. Rather, they'll argue to the White House that you need 60 votes.
