The significance of the Obama-Snowe relationship lies not in the prospect that the president will replicate it with many, or even any, other Republicans. To achieve his objectives, Ms. Snowe may be the only Republican he needs…

Ms. Snowe dismisses the Republican characterization of Mr. Obama as a big-government liberal moving heedlessly to expand Washington’s role. “I almost sense the opposite,” Ms. Snowe said. “He’s been very realistic in his views on health care.

“I’ve gotten an impression that he would, you know, probably do less than more,” she added. His place on the ideological spectrum, she said, is “more moderate than liberal on this question.”…

Mr. Obama and his team began cultivating Ms. Snowe even before he took office in January. “He’s always eliciting my views,” she said, “wondering, you know, what my concerns are.”