One step forward: mainstream conservatives today intensely criticizing last night's Republican debate as a mess of people yelling over each other instead of expressing positions and exploring matters of substance.
Two steps backwards: the exact same individuals celebrating that it's the rolling around in the mud moments that let you really figure out who the candidate really is.
Well, it's not just conservatives of the moment: throughout the political environment, across the political spectrum we see people bashing bad outcomes before supporting exactly the elements that brought us to the place and promote it into the future.
We get the government we ask for. We need to stop asking for such socially unhealthy things.
We can't put all the blame on politicians for doing what we empowered them to do, and reelected them for doing.
The dysfunction will continue so long as we keep reelecting politicians promising dysfunction.
But that's not factually how the US government works.
Congresspeople don't vote on whether or not to shut down government. It's exactly the opposite. They vote on the terms to keep it open.
Further, it's not really correct to cite wackos here since Democrats voted as a unit to block consideration of the funding bill.
So not wackos as much as mainstream Democratic position.
@volkris
Agree especially with your last sentence there. The wackos who will shut down the government rather than negotiate did this before & got re-elected. People blaming Dems or Biden for losing whatever benefit they get from a government program due to the shutdown, should examine their decisions in the voting booth.