My preference would be to see our country adopt a single-payer system, but I'd rather have any health reform bill that would treat people with health problems decently than no health reform bill.
Here's a suggestion: instead of demanding a national public option even if that means we'll get no health reform bill at all, or caving in entirely and surrendering to the "coop" proposal, or proposals that would involve no alternative to private health insurance whatsoever, why not push for a compromise "public option pilot program" proposal?
The federal government could give states a choice between setting up a state coop program, joining a federal public option program, or coming up with some other alternative, such as a true single-payer system. Require all plans to operate under rules similar to the rules that govern private Medicare plans, to keep them from excluding people with health problems.
In 10 years, compare all the states and then decide which systems seem to work best, or whether the best approach is to let different states use different systems.