As Democrats continue their stumbling march toward nationalized health care, splits in their coalition are growing wider. Instead of demonizing anonymous “insurance industry lobbyists” and special interest naysayers, Democratic leaders would do better to concede that their blind devotion to one solution — government-run health care — is their biggest problem.

The divisions among Blue Dog Democrats, the Congressional Budget Office, large nonprofits like AARP and even Americans who support health care reform show that President Barack Obama’s lofty rhetoric about building consensus is little more than showmanship — aka “spin.”