The Government Shutdown Countdown Lowdown MEGATHREAD

[Caliga]

No paved roads means I can't drive to work, and no internet means I can't work, so you'll have to try harder than that grumbler.

[grumbler]

No paved roads means I can't drive to work, and no internet means I can't work, so you'll have to try harder than that grumbler.

It isn't essential that you drive to work, and it isn't essential that you are employed in a job where the internet is necessary.  It has been done by millions in this country and even more throughout the world.  Sorry, but if you want only the "essentials" from government, you'll have to do without the luxuries, like a good job.

[merithyn]

When I saw the fallout and that all essential workers and programs would continue to be paid/funded, I had to wonder: shouldn't everything the government does be essential, and shouldn't it not be doing anything beyond that?

Where does that leave federal parks and reserves? And the FDA doesn't count as 'essential' but I'd guess most people agree that it's important. Highways, bridges, and non-essential infrastructure falls in there, too.

It's all well and good to say what the government should or shouldn't do, but those 'non-essentials' are part of what keep us from being like third-world nations.

[derspiess]

Like trying to win an election so they could turn back Obamacare?

There's a question of the best way to go about doing that.  Plus there's the issue of Obamacare being much harder to turn back once it's been in place for a period of time.  I don't honestly know what the best strategy is for the GOP-- every one I can think of has serious negatives.

I think it's because he's been very lucky in his enemies.

That's part of the equation, for sure.  The other part of it is that he has a significant floor limit in terms of the % of the public that will support him no matter what. 

[Razgovory]

life without the federal governement feels much the same as life without the national hockey league when it canceled the hockey season a few years back...I miss neither, and my life is unaffected.

I'm not sure we should ever restore funding to the feds beyond what's needed to blow up foreigners.

Yeah, most of the federal government is still functioning.

[MadImmortalMan]

Well the non-farm payroll numbers didn't come out today, so the market is up. Anybody else notice anything?

[merithyn]

If Obama would have stared them down the first time they tried to pull this we wouldn't of had the annual repeats.  Instead we get to regularly suffer through the grandstanding and time wasting.

Yep. Absolutely agree. This comes down as much to poor leadership by Obama as ignorance by the Tea Party wing of the Repubs Party.

[Razgovory]

life without the federal governement feels much the same as life without the national hockey league when it canceled the hockey season a few years back...I miss neither, and my life is unaffected.

I'm not sure we should ever restore funding to the feds beyond what's needed to blow up foreigners.

When I saw the fallout and that all essential workers and programs would continue to be paid/funded, I had to wonder: shouldn't everything the government does be essential, and shouldn't it not be doing anything beyond that?

No.  Why would you think that?

[merithyn]

There's a question of the best way to go about doing that.  Plus there's the issue of Obamacare being much harder to turn back once it's been in place for a period of time.  I don't honestly know what the best strategy is for the GOP-- every one I can think of has serious negatives.

The thing is that the last presidential election was essentially "Should we repeal Obamacare?" If so, vote in Romney. And Romney lost. So it's fair to say that the majority of the US wants to keep Obamacare. It's been made into a law - which required bi-partisan approval to get it through the House - and signed by the president. Even the Supreme Court has said, "Yes, this is a valid law."

There are far better things to spend our time on than repealing something that most people want.

[derspiess]

What planet are you on, Meri?  Public opinion polls do not show that most people want Obamacare.

[Admiral Yi]

It's been made into a law - which required bi-partisan approval to get it through the House - and signed by the president.

Obamacare became law before the first midterm, when Democrats controlled the House.

[Razgovory]

It's been made into a law - which required bi-partisan approval to get it through the House - and signed by the president.

Obamacare became law before the first midterm, when Democrats controlled the House.

That doesn't actually contradict what she said.

[merithyn]

What planet are you on, Meri?  Public opinion polls do not show that most people want Obamacare.

Oh? I beg to differ.

Link

Polls consistently show that Americans aren't happy with Obamacare. They think the law will make health care more expensive, and decrease its quality. But a new survey of 1,976 registered voters finds that only 33 percent believe that the health law should be repealed, delayed, or defunded. 29 percent believe that "Congress should make changes to improve the law," 26 percent believe that "Congress should let the law take effect" and see what happens, and 12 percent believe that the law should be expanded. The bottom line? Voters are skeptical that Obamacare will live up to Democrats' hype. But they also believe that it should be given a chance to succeed.

[derspiess]

It's been made into a law - which required bi-partisan approval to get it through the House - and signed by the president.

Obamacare became law before the first midterm, when Democrats controlled the House.

That doesn't actually contradict what she said.

I was trying to point out that her premise was flawed.

[merithyn]

It's been made into a law - which required bi-partisan approval to get it through the House - and signed by the president.

Obamacare became law before the first midterm, when Democrats controlled the House.

Fair enough, but it still made it through the required hoops to be a law, and when given the opportunity to overthrow it, voters re-elected Obama rather than bring Romney in.