Shutdown: Why I Worry That the Democrats Are Screwing It Up Again

“The question of the erroneous appropriation of funds, the reduction of programs, federal dismissals – all these things are already illegal. We can therefore insist on the fact that they make them illegal again in these bills of credits, but that does not change the dynamics, ”explains Stansbury. She added, “We rimed. But you have to fight in the right place. ”

That said, there are many problems with Democrats who adopt a health care closure. I fear that this request for an Obamacare will be almost too small to maintain a prolonged closure. (My colleague Michael Tomasky made a similar argument last month.) The overwhelming majority of Americans obtain health care thanks to their work, Medicare or Medicaid. They are simply not those who have invested in the relatively small population in the exchanges of Obamacare. If the Trump administration is starting to dismiss a large number of federal workers, to close the national parks and to take other measures to make this closure painful, while blaming the Democrats for this pain, I am not sure to defend Obamacare’s subsidies will be a message strong enough for the public more in general to continue a closure.

Second, my feeling is that those of the normal team, in particular moderate democratic senators, still believe in foundation in this strategy and will not engage too long in a closure. There is a reasonable argument that the Democratic Party has executed the normal strategy most of this year and that it works, at least electoral: Trump’s survey numbers are terrible; Democrats are doing very well in special elections and are clear favorites to win the environment. Prolonged stop risks these advantages.