Jon Cohn assesses the state of play of healthcare reform over at TNR, and he’s on pretty much the same page as me: August didn’t kill it; Democrats are finally facing the reality that they can’t count on any Republican votes; reconciliation is now a serious threat; and Dems fully understand that failing to pass something would be calamitous. So he’s cautiously optimistic. The difference is that his version of this is based on real expertise and extensive reporting, not just a gut feel. Go read.