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As we move through the second week of the government shutdown, it’s become clear that Democrats are winning the messaging war and it’s not particularly close.
A New York Times/Sienna poll taken shortly before the shutdown found that 26 percent of voters blamed Trump and Republicans, while only 19 percent blamed Democrats. A Marist poll conducted at about the same time found an even bigger gap; Republicans were to blame 38 to 27 percent. And the Washington Post, which polled voters shortly after the shutdown began, found that 30 percent blamed Democrats, while 47 percent blamed Republicans.
While a CBS poll published yesterday painted a more mixed picture, the numbers so far have been largely heartening for Democrats. They suggest the electorate has come to realize that the Republicans cannot be trusted to govern responsibly.
There’s another reason Dems should stand strong: Republicans have shown they don’t negotiate in good faith or follow through on their commitments. They’ve used their majorities in Congress to branch to tear up bipartisan agreements, cancel appropriated funds, and attempt to turn Trump into a king.
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If Republicans are fully on board with Trump’s efforts to seize funds like a dictator, there’s not much point in negotiating with them. You might as well force them to own their priorities, including massively increasing healthcare premiums, and then use it against them on the campaign trail next year.
MAGA’s terrible messaging
The current Republican faceplant was not by any means a foregone conclusion.
Democrats initially moved towards the shutdown with a great deal of trepidation. Back in March, Senate Democrats were so afraid that the shutdown argument would go against them that their caucus removed its own spine. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and other Democrats in leadership broke their own filibuster, handing the GOP an easy victory and enraging their own base.
