General Discussion

Very reluctantly, I must agree with you. While the shutdown has not really affected me personally -- not yet, anyway -- others are nowhere near as fortunate, indeed, one of my sons works for the Civil Service and has been furloughed ever since the shutdown began. It somehow would seem a bit cheap for me, who is not really affected, to want the shutdown to continue when there are so many others who are suffering deeply because of it. And, certainly, Trump and the Republicans absolutely DO NOT care about those who are suffering. If they did care in any way, shape, or form, things would never have gotten anywhere near this point.

The Democrats had no good options here. There were only differing degrees of bad options. I'm not wise enough to say what the least bad option might have been, but . . . at least, my son, and all the other innocent people who have been so deeply affected by this, can return to some sense of "normality," for a time, anyway.

So, there will be a "guaranteed" vote on ACA subsidies before year's end. The thought that comes to my mind is: Charlie Brown. Lucy. Football. There is certainly no guarantee that such a vote would pass the Senate, and even if it did, no guarantee that it would pass the House, and even if it did, it is very likely that Trump would veto it, and there certainly would not be anywhere near enough votes in either the Senate or the House to override that veto. So, perhaps the best advice I might offer, such as it is, is to prepare "the mother of" all messaging campaigns.

My $0.02 worth, anyway . . .