Are the defenders of the Democratic party’s approach to healthcare reform irrepressible optimists, or self-deluding fantasists? I declare a personal stake in the issue, as one such defender myself. In that capacity, I only wish I could be more confident of the answer.

As the search for votes to pass a bill continues, the line taken by defenders of comprehensive healthcare reform goes like this. Yes, the public opposes the Democrats’ proposals, but it is the process more than the product that voters question. And though nobody would say the product was perfect, it is basically good.