A robust public healthcare option is certainly good policy. But policy does not generally sell itself, especially in complicated fields such as healthcare. How can a more robust political will be mobilized in favor of a strong public healthcare option?
Two points come to mind, one from examination of the Republican opposition to a strong public option, and the other from a search for new sources of support.
We need always to keep in mind that the Republicans are terrified of a strong public option. Once put in place, and seen to successfully deliver healthcare to c. 48 million Americans who now lack health insurance, plus millions more who have weak policies or who see themselves at risk of losing what health insurance they have, public healthcare will become an essential part of America's social service fabric--and delivered by the Democratic Party. Moreover, all the scare stories put out by Republicans will be seen for what they are--lies and special pleading on behalf of special interests.
That suggests that the various Blue Dog/Purple state Democrats who seem afraid of supporting a strong public option have the politics of the issue exactly wrong. For example, 19 percent of North Carolinians do not now have health insurance. Would not Kay Hagen do more to ensure her reelection by becoming a strong advocate of a public option and make a name for herself as the champion of hundreds of thousands of her constituents? Democrats who instead oppose real healthcare reform are in effect pursuing the votes of those who are still not likely to vote for them anyway, since a Republican can always "out-free-enterprise" them no matter what. So: principle number 1: Actually solving a serious public problem in a way that serves the direct interests of tens of millions of Americans is winning politics.
Can other sources of political support be found? One very powerful one lies in the potential of a strong public option to help solve state/local budget problems across the country. Literally thousands of jurisdictions, from states and counties to cities, towns, and school districts face high and constantly rising health insurance costs for current employees, and in many cases retirees. A public option available to them would allow them to reduce their health insurance costs significantly--and would not a canny Democratic administration be able to mobilize significant support among governors, mayors, etc. for a strong public option if they saw it as a significant, long-term structural solution to some of their most difficult budget problems?