General Discussion

If the Democrats who believed the Trumpublicans were never going to cave on extending the ACA subsidies had held out anyway, they would have forced Thune (under increasing pressure form the felon) to "go nuclear."

And that would have been a better outcome by so much that words fail me.

Frankly, I always thought that would be the likely end..Democrats declaring we will not be complicit in these harms, and Thune ending the filibuster.

Three of the eight were lost from the start, but the five Democrats who engaged in negotiating, and who supported the "deal" robbed us of so many benefits that outcome would have yielded.

If the Republicans had gone nuclear, which I firmly believe they would have within a week because they all dreaded their constituents hating on them over Thanksgiving dinner:

Instead of saying WTF did the Dems subject us to this pain for, people would be up in arms at the Trumpublicans: "You mean you could have ended this by getting rid of the filibuster before it even started!!!"

Democrats would have demonstrated an unprecedented strength.

Democrats would be riding as high as they were on Friday. Enraged by the ACA loss, but proud as hell of the strength demonstrated.

The depravity and cruelty shown by the felon during the shutdown would be all the more evident as the Trumpublicans took 100% responsibly for the horror show.

The shutdown was absolutely coming to an end. Even if you accept that winning the subsidies was impossible, it ended in the most damaging way possible.

But we live to fight another day. ACA vote is our next battle, and whatever the outcome of that, some lines need to be drawn for the coming Feb shutdown. The eight may yet have time to redeem themselves.