I think the Republicans know they'll get blamed for the shutdown. But what they're counting on.....

[Tommy_Carcetti]

....is that the American public also equally blames Democratic members of Congress for the shutdown, and public opinion is a "wash."

Out in the public, in places like Facebook, I see a lot of anger at "Congress" in general. And that's very understandable.

But for those of us who are lucky enough to have a Democratic congress member, personally I'm not blaming them for the shutdown. And I don't think they should be lumped in with the Tea Party extremists who bear total responsibility for this because of their White Whale obsession over repealing the ACA.

How can we help ensure that credit for this cluster goes where credit is due?

[leftstreet]

1. Congress is currently less popular than a colonoscopy

Regardless of team affiliation

This hurts them all equally I would think, but certainly reinforces the notion that government is ineffective

[Tommy_Carcetti]

5. I don't think Congress will ever have a positive approval rating, and I've never bought into that.

Whether its for a Democratic majority congress or a Republican one, or mixed.

The general public is going to ultimately see Congress as a logjam where not enough gets done because of the opposing viewpoints of its members. Hence, I think most people will ultimately see Congress as a place where a lot gets said, and a little gets done.

Yet if you were to poll constituents about their individual Congressional representative, the approval ratings are bound to be much, much higher simply because they voted him or her into office, so there has to be at least some level of general support.

[lostincalifornia]

2. And the media is trying to push that theme. However, it isn't working, and it won't

[gopiscrap]

4. God I would hope that the American public would be bright enough to know who did this!

[doc03]

3. You gotta realize nearly all the MSM is in their corner. Even the ones that aren't

won't tell the truth. They say things like the government is shut down because the House
and Senate can't come to a compromise. Remember the Rush Limbaugh quote "Compromise? We don't compromise. We won!
Democrats never seem to get that.

[Xolodno]

6. They are gambling....

They are hoping they might get out of this ok and get what they want. But if they don't....Tea Party guys won't have to pay the price due to their gerrymandered districts. Others, not so much, hence why you see some coming out openly against the shutdown.

[texanwitch]

7. Yep.

Divide the republicans.

I am hoping by the weekend a lot more will be coming out.

Letters and calls from home building up.

What did I read, the needed number of republicans was 17.

Keep the pressure up.

They opened a can of worms, and don't know what do now.

Like kids who get caught they are blaming everyone else but themselves.