Obama’s digression into the meaning of bipartisanship last night was important for two reasons. The first was obvious. . . . [Obama's definition of], bipartisanship is “if I’m taking some of your ideas and giving you credit for good ideas.” In other words, it’s a process, not an outcome.

The second is that Obama. . . thinks it illegitimate for Republicans to oppose health reform based solely on the existence of a public plan. Or, put the other way, he’s suggesting that he genuinely believes the final bill should include a public plan and Republicans should learn to live with that. In Obama’s preferred world, a bipartisan bill will have elements that some Republicans and some Democrats have trouble accepting. In the Republicans’ preferred world, a bipartisan bill will be restricted to elements that neither Republicans nor Democrats have trouble accepting. It’s a vision where cooperation drags legislation down to the lowest partisan denominator.

I think Ezra’s right, but I’d take it a step further.  What we’re really talking about here is that Obama wants consensus while Republicans want capitulation.

Republicans have been playing this game for years.  In 2004, for example, Bush, Rove, and their allies in Congress took a Democratic initiative — creation of a Department of Homeland Security — that they initially opposed and turned it into a referendum on loyalty to the United States.  The Democrats, fearful of looking weak on terrorism, caved on their demand for union protections, but still lost a number of seats — most notably Max Cleland’s in Georgia — because the Republicans were able to frame the issue to their advantage.  And once again, the public saw the Republicans as strong and the Democrats as weak, even though it was the Republicans who blocked real consensus.

So Democratic efforts to build consensus are not new.  What makes Obama’s approach different is that he won’t capitulate.  He doesn’t have to.  He has the votes.  The Republicans can continue to oppose, oppose, oppose, but they no longer have the political power — or the public support — to win.