Official 2013 Budget/Debt Limit/Obamacare Crisis Thread

I absolutely do not have another moniker here. I guess you can't refute my points, so you have to resort to calling me a character.

 

Republicans have really backed themselves into a bad spot here.

Obama/Dems are not going to negotiate. They know if they compromise now, they will have to compromise and give ground on every single funding and credit limit raise effectively allowing a small opposition party in one house to run the country using catastrophe as a negotiating chip.

Problem is, the country recognizes this. It will not hurt the tea party though, it will strengthen it. It will hurt moderate republicans who come from districts that are more evenly split. That might result in full democractic control in 2014 which is not good for the country in the short run.

Tea Party guys like Ted Cruz when because of increased profile. They aren't going anywhere, and he is almost incentivised to push hard so he can eventually be the next leader in the party. It doesn't hurt that it weakens currently leadership.

Really this is more about a power struggle within the GOP than battling with Obama right now.

 

But less risky. If the district is safe from Democratic overthrow, then the Republican congressman's seat isn't in jeopardy from shutting down the govt.

 

Not necessarily - depends on how you do it. The GOP has created a bunch of safe districts rather than having a slight majority in a whole bunch of districts. As a result, they have people that won't really lose under any circumstances, and can afford to be crazy. For example, you can create:

25% districts with 70% GOPs
25% districts with 90% Dems
50% districts with 55% GOPs

It allows extremists to form in both parties, but the GOP is the current party to have it in the Tea Party. And it still allows you to retain a majority overall.

 

The walls are going to close in on the GOP very fast, once they realize how much the tide of public opinion has turned against them. Already reports of Healthcare.gov being inaccessible due to overwhelming demand. The party is in big trouble, and the moderates know it, that's why most of them, including Mitt Romney himself, have said this shutdown is a stupid, stupid idea.

 

You sir are wrong, Bigtexx has no character.

 

Eh? US politics/history/economy/etc. is not part of the curriculum in most part of the world.

Does your retort rationally debunk my impression of US current events? Is my thinking of the issue far fetched? Or you are simply part of the group that subliminally adhere to what I stated, but are of course too PC to admit.

 

#firstworldproblems

 

Hey Mr. Justtx, I guess I read your retort with a misjudged slant. Please disregard the uncalled for last line of my reply above. I apologize.

 

Nobody but eddiewinslow takes him seriously. Again, take your own advice. Get a life.

 

Heard on Fox News:

"The funds don't exist to support Obamacare. It will massively inflate the debt."

 

That is just Fox News hoping their viewers never have taken a U.S. government class in college....

 

I heard a discussion by some Republican strategists who said that the way they see things they have the House locked up until at least 2020. Generally with low turnout in off year elections if they can energize their base they can take the Senate in 2014 and force Obama to deal with unified Republican Congress the last 2 years of his term and either force his hand on supporting some Republican positions or make things so bad for him that it hurts the Democratic brand going into 2016.

They feel that this shutdown sends a message to their most ardent supporters that they are standing on principle and energizes the base. So while this might hurt the overall Republican brand in the short term they see long term benefits from it.

 

But does anything matter but the 2014 midterm elections?

 

As a strategist the most important election is always the next election.

 

That would be a minority GOP of 47.5% across the state. In any case, if you were to do that, you are leaving districts vulnerable with the 55% GOP. Not everyone votes partyline.

THe point is, the more you gerrymander in order to get additional districts, the more you have to make some districts competitive. Overall, you have to dilute your advantage to get the additional district no matter how you slice it. It's just a question of how much it puts it in reach of the opposition.

 

Says the man who tangles with Bigtexxx and makes false accusations about others. I really am not here to get into some personal squabble with you. I think in fact I actually gave you rep recently for one of your posts that I liked, with positive comments. So I don't get how you think otherwise. I just get annoyed seeing everyone fall for his bait and respond to him. Why can't yall just ignore him so he will go away????

I did not mean to bruise your feelings there. Just making a point.

 

They're also counting on the short memory of the electorate. These guys didn't care when sequestration took place, they actually got what they wanted. The 24-hour-non-stop-twitter-like news cycle may actually work to their advantage.

What scares them is the success of Obamacare.

 

How much money does the shut down cost the govt?

 

most appropriate time for this gif ever