As of this recording, the government is shut down, and the Democrats — who pulled the trigger — are all over the place. This is about post-pandemic Obamacare subsidies. At least, that’s what they’re saying. But the messaging is scattershot. They’re trying to create a moment — a real fight — but they don’t have the talking points to back it up. And when you don’t have your messaging locked in, you wind up in a situation where every time your opponents shoot themselves in the foot, you shoot yourself in the head. That’s exactly where they are right now.
They believe the shutdown will be blamed on Trump — but even if it is, that’s not a win. They need to frame this as a just cause — a line in the sand over healthcare. The policy push here is driven, not by popular demand, but by the health insurance industry, who benefited enormously from the pandemic-era subsidies. They want them to stay. And it’s not totally clear how much the average American will even feel the impact if they go away — but the big players certainly will. Democrats are using this fight to define themselves, but the core of it is shaky.
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