The problem with the public option, to me, is that its not the cure-all panacea that I’d like to see - though I didn’t realize it until reading Ezra Klein sometime last July. The only version of the public option that was ever on the table was limited to (essentially) people who don’t already get insurance from their employer. IIRC, it would be available to ~10 million or so people, but I might have the number wrong.

I guess the hope is that it would be expanded over time - but for right now, I’ll just take the bill, public option or not. I’m skeptical that they’ll actually get 50 Senators to promise to vote for it to add it during reconciliation (Biden of course providing the 51st vote).