The most intense policy debate going on in the Democratic Party right now concerns health care, but it’s about more than just what sort of specific reform should be pursued. It’s also about how to approach both policy and politics, about what it means to be a Democrat, and about competing theories of change.
Though at times it can get heated, there’s nothing wrong with that — Democrats argue passionately about this issue because they care about people who don’t have coverage and people who are ill-served by the system we have now. And though people both on the left and in the center can be dismissive of those who don’t agree with them, it’s important for everyone to understand exactly what others are proposing.