By enacting the first government shutdown since the Clinton Administration, the GOP has seen fit to take a situation they saw as bad for themselves and make it worse. A running analogy among Americans and pollsters condemn Republicans as “spoiled children.”
Several recent polls indicate that the Republicans are solely responsible for the government shutdown. A CNN/ORC poll that released yesterday showed that 46 percent would blame Republicans in Congress, whereas only 36 percent would blame Obama. Six out of 10 completely reject the Republicans tactic to trying to stop the Affordable Care Act (ACA).
A poll released by Quinnipiac University indicated that “by 72 percent to 22 percent, Americans oppose Congress ‘shutting down major activities of the federal government’ as a way to stop the Affordable Care Act.” Sixty-four percent oppose a block to increase the debt ceiling and 58 percent oppose cutting funds for the ACA. Based off of polls carrying similar results, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ.) gives a warning to House Republicans.
Last night, two hours before the shutdown, McCain spoke openly about the impending implications that the shutdown will surely have on the GOP. Acknowledging the current resistance from fellow Republicans as a losing fight, McCain notes that “We can’t win.”
“Congress always gets blamed,” McCain continued. “Republicans will be perceived as blocking and as shutting down the government. . . I saw the movie [last government shutdown] back in 1995 and it was very illuminating.” By invoking his past experience with a similar shutdown in the mid-90s, McCain’s words could very well be a prophetic offering of things to come.
Despite the similarities between then and now, conservatives remain staunch in their opinion that this go-around will not meet the same misfortune for the GOP as it did almost 20 years ago, when Newt Gingrich was House Speaker.
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) went as far to say that the government shutdown in 1995-96 was a good thing for the GOP in the “long run,” despite the fact that after the Republican mishap, Clinton’s numbers never suffered again through the rest of his presidency.
Fast forward to 2013, and a current situation that strongly mirrors what happened in 1995. The shutdown hasn’t even been in effect for 24 hours and already the US dollar has dropped to an 8-month low and as many as 800,000 government jobs will be halted because of this hissy-fit by the GOP.
All year, alongside the Benghazi scandal, the IRS scandal, and many more, the GOP has stepped on landmine after landmine of their own planting in several failed attempts to discredit Obama. And this government shutdown is shaping up to be no different.
Josh is a writer and researcher with Ring of Fire. Follow him on Twitter @dnJdeli.
