This can only go ONE way, folks

[NanceGreggs]

People currently facing the possibility of foreclosed mortgages or eviction are the least likely people to continue supporting the “pResident” and the party that caused the shutdown in the first place.

People currently lining up at food banks in order to feed their families are the least likely people to think that withholding their paycheques is justified in order to fund a “wall” the majority of the country doesn’t want.

Every day this shutdown goes on is another day that Trump/GOP support wanes. There is ZERO CHANCE that anyone anywhere who was against the shutdown from the beginning will change their mind and suddenly support it. But there is every probability that those who supported “The Wall” will realize that the cost of a gov’t shutdown is simply not worth the price.

IOW, every day this shutdown continues is a day of diminished support for exactly what the GOP are trying to sell to their constituents as being a cause worth fighting for.

The GOP have everything to lose AND nothing to gain. And yet the Republicans stand firm in embracing a position they know to be political poison.

Which brings us all to the ultimate question that needs to be answered: WHY?

[DFW]

1. On a foggy day........

Condemned Republicans would call out to a confused firing squad so they could better locate their targets.

Why? Not even the Shadow knows...........

[Crutchez_CuiBono]

28. "Over here you guys.....

Warmer....warmer....red hot. Fire away."

[DetlefK]

2. They are afraid of opposing Trump.

60% of republican voters are hardcore-Trumpers. The GOP is afraid that if they say something against Trump, these extremists will make them lose elections.

[Dulcinea]

20. Dolt 45's base...

...wants to make government employees suffer as much as they've suffered. A lot of Trumpketeers have no jobs, marketable skills, or hope for the future. They're still counting on the Annoying Orange to bring their jobs & way of life back. Misery loves company.

[barbiegeek]

50. Applause 👏👏👏

I’m glad I am not the only person that thinks this

[Grasswire2]

3. Because the object is to sow chaos

....and this is just the first act.

[Grasswire2]

5. Shutter government, they said.

Crash the structures of governance. Tear it all down.

Weaken America.

Feature, not bug, of the plan.

[dalton99a]

37. +1. Putin is laughing his ass off

[Grasswire2]

38. Russians everywhere are doing the same.

Twitter is full of them mocking America right now.

[Volaris]

48. Na. Those are the paid trolls.

My money's on the Russian PEOPLE are not my enemy, but Putin is an enemy to BOTH of us.

And as soon as they figure that out, theyll kill him FOR us.
I say we start helping them.

[Mister Ed]

19. This. n/t

[Arkansas Granny]

22. And who gains from that? Certainly not Americans. Putin, OTOH, is probably ecstatic.

[Crutchez_CuiBono]

29. Bannons wish come true.

[still_one]

4. Because this is what their base wants. San Jose, California just past a funding bill to pay

airport workers working without pay until this is resolved

Banks and other places should accept IOUs from those affected

I would like to think your assessment is right Nance and people see the light of not only who this administration is, but what the Republican Party is

As you said one would think they are on the path to self-destruction, but you never know

[Meowmee]

6. I hope you are right

But it is impossible to say what will happen. Crazy times. We have been hostages since Nov 2016. In Nov 2018 we gained ground. Lets hope it will all be enough. I want to see this monster and all of his supporters pay for what they are doing. I want some sanity to be restored.

Why? I think it is clear they are trying to destroy the country/ the democracy. Good question. One with multiple answers I’m guessing.

[Demovictory9]

9. "hostages since Nov 2016. In Nov 2018 we gained ground"

so true

[Meowmee]

45. If we ever get out of this

I will have a huge party👍🏻 Just the relief alone is going to be amazing.

[Volaris]

49. That's not gonna be enough. Justice is what's required, or this nation's population of idiot haters

Will put us right back here in 20 years .
The only remedy is the Criminals actually go to prison this time.
Jr should count his lucky stars he's not in ft levenworth.
Trump won't be so fortunate, I think.

[Meowmee]

59. Are u replying to me?

I certainly hope they do go to prison. Which is what I meant by pay for what they have done. But I will not hold my breath. Do you mean idiot lovers😹

[FM123]

31. Yes, it has felt like the hostage crisis since that madman seized the White House

[Meowmee]

44. Yep

Since that night when I had a terrible reaction to the events it has been a nightmare. And the stress is unbearable at times.

[vlyons]

7. For the same reason that ancient people's destroyed their envionment to placate their gods

If you cut down all your trees to make charcoal to make lime to plaster your temples, eventually the society will collapse. Republicans simply cannot admit that they were wrong. Cannot admit that they sold out to dark money, knowing it was unethical. If is
pig-headedness. I said weeks ago that there would be much more pain before a critical mass of people decided to pressure their Republican senators to vote a veto-proof vote.

[sinkingfeeling]

8. Why? To dismantle government as we have known it for over 200 years.

[BigBearJohn]

10. Ego. Nothing else.

[Scruffy1]

11. The whole party painted itself in a corner.

They did it by appealing to the worst of the population through emotion. The problem is their base can't dance. They've made up their minds already and facts don't matter so their is no rational way out. If they don anything reasonable they lose their 20% of crazies, misfits, haters, losers, riff raff and the willfully ignorant. They brought all of the ones nobody wants to their party and now they are owned by the rubes they keep appealing to. Oh, some rubles involved, too.

[Crutchez_CuiBono]

30. Aaah. The rube ruble rubicon..

Right on.

[hlthe2b]

12. Why? Because Trump sees that 35% hard core racist support to be the "Marginot Line"

to protect him from impeachment, removal from office, and assured prosecution--his only chance of avoiding paying for his crimes. That last hope comes from the rabid racist core and Limbagh-Coulter have already made it clear this is their line in the sand as well.

I think he sees this as his only chance at ultimate survival and he surely doesn't give a damn about taking the R's in Congress down with him.

[SammyWinstonJack]

14. Spot on.

[gordianot]

13. I actually think there is a purpose in this shutdown.

Remember the Trump’s made their real fortune as slum lords. All of the suckers who voted for Trump are going to become enforcers in his scheme to secure your livelyhood and wealth. What is amazing he can impoverish a million government workers over 5 billion dollars. Someday after they go broke they will need a landlord. Our schools need to include Russian we will need it so we can speak with our new landlords.

[Kitchari]

26. This deserves its own OP

"Our schools need to include Russian. We will need it so we can speak with our new landlords." -- Well said, gordianot!

[Chemisse]

15. He MUST win in a fight he chose over a woman who challenged his manhood.

And he has convinced himself that his position is popular.

And this whole shut-down-the-government idea was likely a Putin idea to begin with.

[mart48]

16. Yes, why is Putin doing this? Oh, never mind, I answered my own question

[malaise]

17. Why

Destroy the 'deep state.
The Con has always stiffed people. He does not care. To shut down government days before Christmas should tell us all who they are dealing with - a vile human being.

[KatyaR]

18. I think what makes it worse is that

now there are those who say they don't want the federal employees to come back to work, that most of them are worthless and need to go away.

It's demoralizing enough to be going without a paycheck or working without pay, but to be told your worthless and shouldn't keep your job--that's just awful.

[Martin Eden]

21. Why? Because the MAGA base.

Last edited Thu Jan 17, 2019, 07:59 AM - Edit history (1)

If tRump caved on the wall he could lose his base, and that's the only thing keeping him alive politically.

The MAGA base of support for tRump also keeps congressional republicans in line. They dare not defy tRump, lest they be primaried in the next election.

Decades of Faux News and hate radio have created a monster which has taken control of our government.

This can go TWO ways.

Either the monster is destroyed, or the village will be.

Dems taking back the house is a good indication of the monster's pending demise, but it will not go quietly. It will wreak as much destruction as it can.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

25. "Either the monster is destroyed, or the village will be. "

That's it in one line. That's where we are.

There are casualties in this battle, but people are already stepping up to help them.

[Sherman A1]

23. I believe this to be Paul Ryan's shutdown

Now it is certainly being perpetuated by the current GOP cast of characters, but Ryan had ample time to get a funding bill passed delaying it for political expediency. Ryan dropped the ball several times, but I lay the entire blame at his doorstep.

[maddiemom]

35. Ryan was the most over-rated political figure in recent history.

It began to be obvious during his debate with Joe Biden, and went downhill from there. He was a total loss as Speaker of the House, but at least he was self-aware enough to have to be dragged into that position. Good that he's gone, but he'll probably not make a good lobbyist, either. Certainly he'll never starve.

[Volaris]

51. Lol@ 'dragged'...

Bullshit. He stabbed Bohener in the back as many times as he could, until Jon had a (quite literal--he met with
the pope) come to Jesus moment, and called it quits.

Dragged heh..smdh.
Love you🤗

[Hermit-The-Prog]

24. they're waiting for the coup to be complete

The gutless GOP are waiting to be rescued -- either by orders from their boss, Putin, or by a notice that the global coup over democracy has been accomplished. While we have to wait for the rule of law or be accomplices to those who seek to usurp it, the rich (and evil) autocrats keep fanning divisive flames to further erode support for those rules. Multi-national corporations and the billionaire oligarch class fed by the GOP for 4 decades take advantage of the environment handed to them by the puppets of those autocrats. They don't have to join in the conspiracy in order to further its aims; they just have to be opportunists.

[lunatica]

27. The payoff must be huge.

Nothing seems to be able to change their course. It doesn’t make any sense.

[KY_EnviroGuy]

32. Because they blindly believe this will help accomplish their ultimate goal....

of constructing a tiny, limited libertarian and theology-oriented government and to them any sacrifice is worth achieving that end. Self-harm or harm to others is of minor concern.

The international corporate world, religious groups and radical political think-tanks have created a large cluster of thought-leaders and authoritarians to serve their own selfish, greedy and dogmatic interests. Republicans suffer from blind attachment to thought-leaders and authoritarians and a sizable quantity of these "gods of the GOP" exist at various levels within their bubble - from parents to preachers to pundits to politicians.

Individual Republicans (from your everyday citizens to their elected officials) pick-and-choose leaders that appeal the most to them on an emotional and intellectual level, thereby forming your typical "cult of personality" structures.

IMO, that's the WHY and the HOW.........

[Gothmog]

33. K&R

[JudyM]

34. Passionately hoping that McConnell's arrogance will alienate some of his "own(ed)" senators.

[lsewpershad]

36. They are all in the same psychiatric ward as trump

The psychiatric ward that is his (their) mind .

[MadDAsHell]

39. Because his voters want no govt. They think this proves that govt is wasteful and unnecessary.

Unless something monumental happens my guess is that most of them view the current state of things (eg long airport lines) as minor inconveniences, well worth it in their quest to prove that "non-essential positiond" are, well, non-essential.

Unfortunately, each day that goes by with some of these offices closed, and the world keeps spinning, is going to bolster their argument that the offices were unnecessary in the first place.

That, and as some other posters have said, chaos. They want pure chaos, and drumpf is chaos.

[tblue37]

40. Why? Because they are up to their necks in laundered rubles, and because after

10 years of hacking RNC emails, Putin has lots of kompromat on them. Who knows what other sources of kompromat he has, but I'm sure there are others, as well.

[Amaryllis]

47. THAT is the most logical explanation...really the only logical one.

[uponit7771]

41. Give it another month

[regnaD kciN]

54. And then what? Consider the "five stages of grief"...

...The final step, after denial, anger, bargaining, and depression, is acceptance. 45’s counting on us reaching that stage eventually. People who are affected by the shutdown may, at the moment, be the least-likely to support 45, but, he figures, if the shutdown goes on long enough and makes them suffer enough, they’ll eventually reach the stage of accepting that the only way they’ll get their lives back to normal is if they “give him his damn wall,” even if they themselves think it’s a bad idea. And, at that point, they’ll start to blame Democrats if they keep holding out.

Will it work? Who’s to say? One thing’s for sure: 45 himself won’t be impacted in the slightest, while millions of Americans will be pushed to the limit of survival. Will they stand firm for “many months, or even years?” I wish I was that optimistic.

[The Wizard]

42. Based on the sage advise

of Aryan Annie and Rash Limbaugh, Trump made a political calculation without having all the factors in the equation. He'll always be a minority pResident and dangerous buffoon.

[The Wizard]

43. McConnell is walking point for Trump

And Mueller is waiting to pop the ambush.

[Dem2theMax]

46. WHY?

Ru$$ia.

[Initech]

52. Why? Because fuck everyone who's not a straight, white, rich male! That's why!

[Blue Owl]

53. Go Down Gamblin'

[Azathoth]

55. Conservative entertainment, pure and simple. People who live in an epistemologically closed bubble

are unreachable, no matter how much they suffer. Trump could execute their families in front of them and they would blame "the libs" for forcing Trump to do it. We've seen this before: North Korea, USSR, Scientology, etc.

[Generic Brad]

56. The reason may be worse than we can imagine

They are not ashamed of taking bribes and being exposed for serving wealthy masters.

No. They are circling the wagons because the underlying hidden crimes are so heinous most of us can’t wrap our brains around it. When they don’t think white collar crimes are wrong, they have to be scared of something else being exposed.

[Haggis for Breakfast]

57. WHY ??

NO BALLS.

[herding cats]

58. We should ask the Mercer's why.

I have a feeling they know what the goal is here.

K&R

[NurseJackie]

60. Pee tapes?

[Harker]

61. Cue Johnny Paycheque singing...

(It Won't Be Long) And I'll Be Hating You.