Probably more than anyone, Obama understands that politics is the art of the possible. The fact that the ACA was passed by a margin of one vote is some evidence that, in the face of raging blind opposition, they didn't leave anything on the table. If congress weren't in thrall to gerrymandered hyperpartisanism and effectively unlimited donor money, the law would have had at least some bipartisan support, been revised numerous times, had bad parts improved, good parts enhanced, and concerns of both parties and various constituencies addressed in light of the empirical evidence gathered over the last seven years. I don't think there will be a return to the previous system. Instead, for several million Americans, they'll try to demolish the first four floors of a building and disingenuously point to the doctor's office on the fifth.
> Even Obama admits this
>The reason we don't do this, even though it would be significantly cheaper, is because it's politically infeasible.
I agree with your point here, but it is the whole perfect being the enemy of the good thing. Like the original article states, this system isn't perfect. Even Obama admits this. I do however believe the current system is unquestionably better than the system we had previously. I therefore think it is a bad idea to return to the previous system while we hope to eventually come up with a better one. It is not hyperbolic to say lives literally depend on it.