Pleas bear in mind, Plums, that most Americans do want a public option, and that the number of those in favor rises when the issue is thoroughly explained. Sadly, there is a lot of fear, misinformation, and outright stupidity fighting against the goal of UHC in the states. The minority is scared, angry, and loud -- that's all.
Most of us realize that ultimately, a government option would be good for the market, the consumers, and the nation overall. We understand that Socialized medicine IS better and cheaper as evidenced by the fact that those countries that have socialized medicine pay less and have healthier populations and better individual health care than does the US, by far. We understand that social programs are a vital part of a functioning democracy and in no way diminish the democratic spirit; and by extension, that a public option is not some vague evil to be feared.
We also understand that morality requires of us to do the best we can to help our country and our countrymen, and that people who think that health is not a basic human right, but something to be profited by and denied at whim, are morally bankrupt.
Most Americans want a country where everyone is born with the right to life, not just those who are lucky. I truly believe that we are on the right path, and hopefully we'll have a true, "robust" public health care option that may very well lead to a true single-payer system some time in the not too distant future.