That doesn't answer the question. What does that metaphor actually look like, in the real world? Do you believe that had the shutdown continued, the GOP would have relented and agreed to the ACA subsidy extension? What is the actual path to an end outcome that you think would have happened?

You have a very limited view on what it’s all about. It was never about extending the ACA, although Americans would have been better off if they succeeded. It was about confronting authoritarianism and standing up to the rising threat of fascism. The ACA subsidies offered an opportunity to highlight the cruelty of Republican Party, a cruelty they doubled down on during the shutdown.

The Dems weren't winning public support on this issue. They were able to win elections …

And that, my friend, is what it’s really all about.

The shutdown offered a stark contrast between what each of the parties stand for, and the voters spoke clearly on Nov 4th. The 2026 elections could be the most consequential in American history. They could also be the last. The message I assume the republicans took away from the shutdown and November 4th is that they cannot risk free and fair elections.

The reason the Clintonites collapsed is not because they care too much, it’s because they were afraid. They cling to the chummy belief that the last ten months were an aberration and that their concessions will get us back to politics as usual.

Your questions always lead back to the assumption of politics as usual.