It's official: The GOP opposes a GOP shutdown

Byron York reports on a GOP-sponsored poll in which "71 percent of those surveyed opposed a shutdown, while 23 percent favored a shutdown. Among Republicans, 53 percent opposed, versus 37 percent who favored."

Even Republican men can't scrape up a majority of shutdown-support (only 48 percent favor such an apocalypse), while Republican women seem virtually Democratic (61 percent are opposed, 29 percent are in favor).   

This all comes somewhat after the fact. Congressional GOP votes aren't there for a shutdown anyway, and they haven't been there for some time. That became apparent enough when Speaker Boehner began muttering about a short-term CR, which released all pressure on a September-end date. 

Nonetheless the remotest prospect of a shutdown continues to receive oodles of unmerited media attention (e.g., this post). In our public-entertainment-as-public-affairs culture, the whackjobs always receive top billing and the choicest of venues, while whacking the whackjobs just never gets old. Those on the right can strut their derring-do while we on the left can evince our superior civic virtue--and in that is a match made by the political gods, even if, regrettably, the country simultaneously goes down the shit tubes.  

At any rate, the Great Shutdown Scare of '13 is pretty much over. But that's OK, because it really does look like the ceiling's about to collapse.

Comments

[Turgidson]

The rump of the GOP, who most reliably vote in primaries, do want a shutdown/showdown.

So I don't believe for a second that we are out of the woods on this one. Tailgunner Ted is gonna keep foaming at the mouth on this until the fat lady sings.

[Peter G]

My wife has a guilty pleasure. She calls it train wreck television and it features things like obnoxious nannies and housewives of various municipalities and other persons neither she nor I could tolerate for five minutes in person. My guilty pleasure seems to be traIn wreck politics. And I have to say nobody does it better than our American cousins.

[mdblanche]

@Turgidson
I agree. Nobody cares what Boehner the Grim Weeper has to say, least of all his own caucus. Even if he does beat the odds and get his way, the rump will take out their frustration in a bit of fraternal bloodletting.

[merl]

And when the 'Baggers don't get their Social Security checks they'll probably blame the President.