A senior White House official told the Wall Street Journal that the administration doesn't really care when the shutdown ends because they're "winning" the PR fight against the GOP. While it's true that Republicans are absorbing more blame than Democrats for the dysfunction, the gap isn't especially wide, especially compared to the 1995 rout. Plus, voters are heaping opprobrium upon all parties involved in the squabble; most people are insisting on compromise -- which isn't helpful to Obama's "no negotiations" stance.
The White House must ask itself if the presidentmay be"winning" in relative terms, but losing in absolute terms. A new Associated Press poll shows Congressional approval at five (!) percent, which is almost within the margin of error. The American people, needless to say, are disgusted by the spectacle playing out on Capitol Hill. Despite his efforts to play the role of an above-the-fray, frustrated bystander, Obama is also taking a hit from this mess. As well he should. Between his atrocious leadership on shutdown talks, which he's single-handedly blocked, and the ongoing Obamacare meltdown, Obama's overall job approval has sunk to 37 percent. For perspective, as he prepared to leave office in January of 2009, President Bush's approval rating was 34 percent.
This ain't pretty:
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