The Democrats’ base has erupted in anger after eight Democrat senators crossed over to vote with Republicans last night to end the filibuster of the continuing resolution, thus re-opening the federal government. But even after 40 days, a large majority of Senate Democrats wanted to keep the shutdown going.
The Democrat base’s reaction to ending the shutdown exposes the absurdity of the position Democrats have taken for the last six weeks, that the shutdown is somehow the Republicans’ fault, even though every Republican voted, repeatedly, to keep the government functioning. The Democrats’ theory (although never articulated as such) was that Democrats are entitled to get their way, always and everywhere, even when they are in the minority. Thus, Republicans caused the shutdown by refusing to act as if they, not the Democrats, are in the minority. The Democrats’ demands meant repealing major provisions of the Big Beautiful Bill that Republican majorities passed in July.
The inconsistency of the Democrats’ position was manifested in polling during the shutdown. Overwhelming majorities of Democrats told pollsters they “blamed” Republicans for the shutdown, while at the same time most Democrats–51% in one poll I saw–said that they wanted the shutdown to continue. So they obviously understood that the shutdown belonged to them, not to the Republicans.
The Democrats’ base voters hate the fact that the government will re-open, SNAP benefits will be paid, and so on. I have no idea how voters outside the Democrats’ hard core will react to the end of the shutdown, but one would hope that some, at least, finally understand the indefensible game the Democrats have been playing.
