The Government Shutdown Countdown Lowdown MEGATHREAD

[garbon]

Bushcare is the base from which Obamacare is making changes.  The problem is that the Right-wing Republicans are happy with Bushcare, with its 10+% per-year cost increases, because the folks who own the right-wing Republicans are the ones pocketing the change.

I don't think that the motivation for Republicans, though.  I think what Republicans are really scared of is Obamacare working, or at least not crashing and burning.  It's a pretty insidious motivation if true, but there is a reason that psychopaths are over-represented in politics.

[Jacob]

Well... it's not true for Republican voters, of course, but for the politicians?

I mean... if Obamacare is actually as disastrous as Republicans claim, why keep fighting it? Why not let it go through and let the Democrats reap what they sowed?

[garbon]

I mean... if Obamacare is actually as disastrous as Republicans claim, why keep fighting it? Why not let it go through and let the Democrats reap what they sowed?

Because they don't actually want the country "destroyed" as they see it? Besides, a policy can be bad and have terrible consequences and yet stay in place (aka not fail).

[Berkut]

The Republicans are fighting this because they know it is the last change to stop the overall move to government provided healthcare.

Obamacare might be terrible, but once it is in place, no matter how badly it works or doesn't work, the discourse will shift to not whether we should have single player, government managed healthcare, but rather to how to make it work better.

Which is why the Dems are willing to go ahead with what is obviously a pretty much crap solution.

Both sides are doing exactly what it makes sense for them to do given their ideologies. The Republicans have to fight this tooth and nail, it is their last chance.

[Admiral Yi]

Well... it's not true for Republican voters, of course, but for the politicians?

I mean... if Obamacare is actually as disastrous as Republicans claim, why keep fighting it? Why not let it go through and let the Democrats reap what they sowed?

Why not default and let the Republicans reap what they sowed?

[Valmy]

I mean... if Obamacare is actually as disastrous as Republicans claim, why keep fighting it? Why not let it go through and let the Democrats reap what they sowed?

Because once a government policy goes into place it is very difficult to reverse.  They know once ObamaCare goes into effect getting rid of it will be almost tantamount to political suicide.  You just need a certain critical mass of people and businesses who benefit from something and it is almost untouchable no matter if it benefits the country as a whole or not.

I mean look at the freaking farm subsidies.  Almost everybody hates them but if they were ever seriously challenged lots of people would get tossed out of office.

[Maximus]

Yeah.  I am amused by the fact that spicey follows Michelle Obama on twitter.

He has some kind of obsession with her. He's constantly going on about her hair, her teeth, her arms etc.

[derspiess]

Saw this on Facebook and immediately thought of you guys:

"More guards at WWII Memorial than at Benghazi" 

[derspiess]

Yeah.  I am amused by the fact that spicey follows Michelle Obama on twitter.

He has some kind of obsession with her. He's constantly going on about her hair, her teeth, her arms etc.

Oh, I do, I do.  I must mention her at least 2 or 3 times a year!

[Maximus]

Yeah.  I am amused by the fact that spicey follows Michelle Obama on twitter.

He has some kind of obsession with her. He's constantly going on about her hair, her teeth, her arms etc.

Oh, I do, I do.  I must mention her at least 2 or 3 times a year!

Which would be 2 or 3 more times than I hear anyone else talk about her.

[derspiess]

Which would be 2 or 3 more times than I hear anyone else talk about her.

You're lucky, then.

[lustindarkness]

So Barry made sure our active duty military will get paid right? And who manages DFAS? Civilians that have been furloughed! 

I guess Siege will get paid... eventually. Same as all other fed employees.

[lustindarkness]

The more I read about this, the more sad I get for our country, what a mess. Freaking congress and senate should be cleaned out, all of them.

I wish term limits were brought back .

[DGuller]

Which would be 2 or 3 more times than I hear anyone else talk about her.

You're lucky, then.

My guess would be that it's not luck, but rather great prudence in the company Max keeps.  Michelle Obama is only even remotely interesting to those who wish to mock her.

[Jacob]

Why not default and let the Republicans reap what they sowed?

Isn't that what's going to happen?