the probable implosion of Obama's health care plans

I can think of a number of reasons to expect health care "reform" (as currently proposed by the Democrats) to founder, resulting in nothing except a cover-your-tail exercise or at most, modest changes.

1.) Spending/debt: The massive increase in spending and debt under Bush and now even moreso under Obama-- both make a super-spending effort nearly impossible.

2.) The recession: The economic downturn makes reform somewhat more likely in that more people are without care and feel more vulnerable. But that is easily trumped by the realization that imposing costs on firms can't be a smart move during such a deep recession.

3.) The biggie: It's akin to "throw the bums out" of Congress, but I like my bum pretty well. (We don't like Congress, but we like our own representative well enough.) With respect to health care, people believe that the system is broken. But most people are content enough with their own health care-- such that a massive change will be viewed as too risky by too many people to be viable politically.

4.) If the Dems have any historical memory, they have to remember that they spent ten years in relative Wilderness because of Clinton's health care plans in 1993-4. Presumably, they're a little antsy about the prospects of an eerie repeat.