Staff Reports
In the topsy-turvy world of politics, where the left hand battles the right and everyone’s convinced they have the moral upper hand, we find ourselves yet again amidst a government shutdown. Democrats seem to be feeling the heat as pressure mounts on them to play nice and reopen the government. It appears they have their priorities somewhat jumbled up, but the stock market seems to have taken it all in stride. It’s almost as if Wall Street didn’t get the memo about the shutdown; the Dow is soaring to record highs, even as political tempers flare.
The political tango taking place on Capitol Hill doesn’t look like it’s about to end anytime soon either. With test votes lined up, the Senate seems deadlocked with both sides unwilling to budge an inch. Any bipartisan effort looks dead in the water, with the Democrats pulling out all stops to satisfy their far-left base. They’ve picked their hill to die on, and from the looks of it, it’s got something to do with sustaining Obamacare subsidies—a curious choice given that the subsidies are set to expire at the end of the year, and we’re only in early October. Talk about putting the cart before the horse.
Meanwhile, Republicans appear to be taking a page from the Democratic playbook and turning it around on them. This time, they are asking the nation a rhetorical question about why Democrats would choose to prioritize certain groups for health care over reopening the government. It’s a role reversal from previous shutdowns that almost makes you want to grab some popcorn and watch. This messaging has definitely hit home, as conservatives argue that the Democrats’ demands don’t exactly scream “imminent disaster.”
The GOP seems to be smelling an opportunity here, targeting Democrats over their inflexible stance. As the Democrat mainstream continues to bow to the extreme left’s pressure, it’s anyone’s guess if some of them might start feeling uneasy after hearing from their voters over the weekend. Perhaps this will spur them to have a change of heart when reality starts sinking in.
As for the Democrats, one can only wonder why they’ve chosen such a precarious position on this battle map. They’re currently fighting over subsidies that were unanimously agreed upon to expire. Even die-hard liberals might scratch their heads at this. With Republicans sitting comfortably on higher political ground, perhaps the Democrats might want to reassess their choices before they lose more than just this round.
