Democrats Can Win the Government Shutdown If They Don't Back Down

[DonViejo]

It’s all about message discipline and ‘Trump’ and ‘message discipline’ don’t exactly belong in the same sentence.

MICHAEL TOMASKY
01.19.18 7:30 AM ET

Three quick questions: When was the last time the government shut down, how long did it last, and which side won?

Three quick answers: It was October 2013, largely over Republican efforts to defund Obamacare (it started a few days after Ted Cruz recited “Green Eggs and Ham” on the Senate floor). It lasted 16 days. And according to the polls, the Democrats and President Obama mostly won—both parties took a hit, but Republicans took the bigger hit.

I doubt you remembered any of the above, except for the Dr. Seuss part. And there were probably all kinds of predictions that these histrionics were going to kill the Republicans in the next year’s elections—in which, of course, they went on to pick up 13 House seats and nine Senate seats and totally dominate gubernatorial and state legislative elections.

In other words, it’s hard to say how these things will play out. Right now, the Senate Democrats are out on a ledge. It sure looks like they’re going to stand fast on the Dreamers issue. There seems to be a slim chance that the Senate today will pass a three- or four-day patch to give negotiators more time to find a compromise, but then of course the House would have to agree to that by midnight.

So let’s assume there’s a shutdown. What happens, politically? Who wins shutdowns is all about message discipline. It’s slightly depressing that it’s that simple, but it is.

more
https://www.thedailybeast.com/schumer-and-the-democrats-roll-the-dice-on-support-for-dreamers?ref=home

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

1. Time to GROW A SPINE!!! btw it's the Rethugs who will be responsible 4 shuttin down the government.