Is the party ceding too much ground with it's position on health care?

Some netrootsers are not happy with our candidate's position on the subject, and while his point is valid, that the Dem platform on health care is not true universal coverage, that the overarching argument that the candidate should be blamed for not carving out a hard position and support for single payer universal health care (SPUHC from now on here) ignores the nuances of our political system, right or wrong.

Firstly, to assume that any such sweeping reform would be passed through congress unscathed, Democratic majority or not is a pipe dream. Second, getting the public behind an idea that was successfully branded as socialist medicine could be more work than thought. Third, getting the public behind any political change beyond the popularity contest that is our election, is damn near impossible.

I believe that Senator Obama believes that SPUHC is in our best interest, and it is the system most capable of fixing our badly beaten system. I also believe that realistically, the best path to this is with baby steps, an idea supported by his (not so) universal proposal.