Let us distinguish ourselves boldly.

for Nader

In fact between voting for republicans, libertarians and Nader, this asshole is telling us what happened in 2008?

To refresh Mr. Weigel convenient memory, the reason why single payer or Medicare was not introduced in the discussion was because THEY DIDN'T HAVE THE VOTES. The dumb ass doesn't seem to comprehend that they had a very small window to pass something or have nothing. The blue dogs were very clear that they would NOT vote for Medicare for All, Single Payer, or a Public Option, and without those votes there would have been no healthcare plan.

Mr. Weigel's rendition of what happened in 2008 is about as consistent as his voting record:

"In the 2000 U.S. presidential election, Weigel voted for Ralph Nader, and served as a Delaware college elector for Nader.[8] In the 2004 election, Weigel voted for John Kerry. Weigel later wrote that "[he regrets] the Nader vote, but not the Kerry vote, as a weak Democratic president with a conservative Congress would have been pretty tolerable in retrospect".[8] He voted for Jack Ryan in the Illinois United States Senate election, 2004 Republican primary.[9]

In early 2007, Weigel became a registered Republican in the Washington, D.C. area,[10][11][12] in order to vote for Ron Paul at the Republican primary stage of the 2008 presidential election.[13] In 2008, Weigel voted for Barack Obama, explaining "I really don't think McCain has the temperament to be President or the interest in standing up to a Democratic Congress... I've got the luxury of a guilt-free, zero-impact vote in the District of Columbia, which I would cast for Bob Barr if he was on the ballot".[8]

In January 2011, Weigel stated that he had voted for Republican Patrick Mara in elections to the Council of the District of Columbia, and that he had voted for Mara "every time he's been on the ballot".[14]

In the Republican Party presidential primaries 2012, Weigel voted for Jon Huntsman, despite his having withdrawn from the race, because "If you looked past his whiff of a tax plan (Huntsman recommended using the flat rates that Simpson and Bowles recommended not using), the guy had a few good ideas."[15] In the 2012 general election, Weigel voted for Gary Johnson.[16]
"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Weigel

and before. Republican's sabotage of the ACA makes Medicare for all preferable. I hope I live long enough to see it.

Obama's reputation will be fine, and it was always said in 2008 and on, that the Dems were open to improving health care. Obama said so many times, Hillary also.

Let's not forget, and others pointed this out here and other places over the years, the ACA is actually the Bob Dole plan from the 1990s the Republicans put forward to counter Bill Clinton's healthcare proposals. The ACA is the Republican plan. And since it is, no one from the GOP supported it, can't propose an alternative that aligns with current GOP dogma. That's why they had no alternate plan, but said they were working on it from 2010 to 2018 and have nothing to show for it.

Not that the marketplace is a bad idea, there are merits to it, but it needs to be supported, maintained, and regulated properly. Which the Republicans refuse to do because they feel the need to stick it to the Democrats. So they've either neglected their own plan or actively undermined it.

Yeah, this is total insanity from the Republican party.

I'm fine with dumping the ACA and replacing it with some form of Universal Healthcare. I think enough people see that the Republican plan sucks and know the Republicans trashed it, so people will be open, again, to a Democratic alternative. The moment is right to start talking about this. Good move Dems!

Because Medicare for is not the best nor most practical way.

If nothing else perhaps they will finally give us an idea how to pay for it. Not a study that lists all the societal savings like we so often see but a plan to put the money in the budget to fund it.

And finally, tell us how they are going to get the 50% of Americans who get their healthcare from their employer to support someone promising to take it away for something better?

If we make healthcare for all a litmus test for being a good democrat we are sunk. There are other ways that are better and way more achievable. Basically using the ACA to get there. No time to go into detail, but read about the French system. Often rated the best in the world. Not single payer.

Though I wonder how many know you still have to pay premiums if you're on Medicare.