Government Shut Down is Over … and the Progressives are Furious

On November 3^rd, I wrote a commentary under the headline “Government Shutdown will be Over Soon”.  I saw no way that Democrats could allow the shutdown to impact the holidays – with all the travel plans and holiday shopping.  Well, folks, the curtain has come down on Washington’s latest theatrical production — a tragedy or a comedy, depending on your perspective.  The reviews are coming in. 

The general assessment of both Republicans and Democrats — especially the left-wingers in the Democratic Party and their media allies — is that the donkey party caved.  To say that they are furious is an understatement. 

The only thing more dysfunctional than the federal bureaucracy was the Democrat plan to shut it down. They tried to play hardball with President Trump but ended up playing wiffle ball.  And now, the progressive wing is throwing tomatoes at their own team members.

The shutdown was precipitated by one man, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, who engineered a complete reversal on the bipartisan tradition of avoiding government shutdowns by passing Continuing Resolutions (CRs).  Had he followed his own counsel from March, Schumer would have supported the CR and there would have been no shutdown.  He apparently thought he could bluff the Republicans into extending Obamacare subsidies by holding the government hostage. He was terribly wrong. 

As the “Daily Show’s” Jon Stewart said, Democrats “folded like a cheap suit” –analogy used by many other Democrats.    They got nothing—zilch, nada, zero—except a vague promise from Republicans to put their Obamacare proposal up for a vote in December. That is not even a good face-saver for Democrats.  They – and everyone who is not brain dead – knows that the chance of the Democrats’ pet measure actually passing is nil. 

As with war, you do not enter into it without an exit strategy.  You do not threaten a shutdown unless you have leverage, and a reasonable path to victory.  Democrats had none of that. Without an exit strategy, they faced an embarrassing unconditional surrender – and that is exactly what Democrats got.   

The strategy to use the shutdown to force legislation was doomed from the outset.  It was a stupid strategy.   Schumer did not serve as the point man because it was a great idea, but simply an obvious pathetic attempt to save his seat.  He got burned by the increasingly powerful radical left in his party when he supported a Republican CR in March.  And he is getting burned again for allowing eight Democrats to support the CR.  (Yes, he could have stopped them.)

Not only were Trump and the Republicans declaring victory, but Democrats were conceding defeat.  Independent Senator Angus King, who voted to reopen the government, bluntly stated,“Standing up to Donald Trump didn’t work. It actually gave him more power.”

King, who helped broker the deal to re-open the government, tried to spin it as a tactical retreat. He said, “Any good general—if the strategy isn’t working, you change tactics.” But the problem is, the strategy was not just flawed—it was knuckleheaded from the get-go. It was doomed to fail. 

The backlash from the Democrat left has been swift and brutal. Representative Ro Khanna called for Schumer’s resignation, saying, “Chuck Schumer is no longer effective and should be replaced.” That is a political obituary.  Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez chimed in with her usual firebrand flair, tweeting, “We had leverage. We had momentum. And we gave it away for nothing.” Bernie Sanders called it “a betrayal of working families.” And these are Schumer’s own teammates.

On The View, the ladies were practically breathing fire. Sunny Hostin declared, “Chuck Schumer’s days are over,” and Whoopi Goldberg said she had “no faith” in Democrats to negotiate anything meaningful. Joy Behar called the vote “a strategic disaster,” and Sara Haines lamented the loss of leverage. When the left-wing ladies of daytime television are calling for Democrat scalps, you know the party has messed up.

Joy Reid called the vote “a strategic blunder of epic proportions.” Rachel Maddow, usually the voice of left-wing orthodoxy, complained that Democrats “gave up their strongest bargaining chip and got nothing in return.”

And let’s talk about the eight Democrat senators who voted with Republicans to end the shutdown: Tim Kaine, Dick Durbin, Maggie Hassan, Jeanne Shaheen, Jacky Rosen, Catherine Cortez Masto, John Fetterman, and Independent Angus King. These folks are now facing the wrath of the progressive base, who see them as traitors to the cause. Primary challenges are already being whispered like ghost stories at a Democratic sleepover.  At least one of them, Dick Durbin, will not be running for reelection.

Let us not forget what Democrats were actually trying to achieve — an extension of Obamacare subsidies. Instead, they got a handshake deal to vote on it in December. That is like asking for a steak dinner and getting a coupon for the salad bar. Everyone knows the chances of passing that bill is somewhere between slim and none—and slim just left town.

The real kicker? Trump and congressional Republicans did not even have to break a sweat. They held firm, watched Democrats implode, and walked away with a win. Even his critics are admitting it.

So what does this all mean? It means the Democratic Party is in disarray for the moment. The increasing power of the radical left is creating division and chaos. They want bold action, but their leaders keep delivering empty gestures. It is like watching a football team run trick plays when they cannot even complete a handoff.

The shutdown was supposed to be a moment of strength—a chance to stand up for healthcare and working families. Instead, it exposed the party’s fractures, its lack of strategy, and its inability to lead. The left-wing establishment is furious, the moderates are nervous, and the leadership is feckless.

In the end, Democrats did not just lose a vote—they lost credibility. They showed that they cannot even win when they hold the cards. And as the dust settles, one thing is clear — Trump did not just win the shutdown battle, he won the narrative war. The Democrats tried to play the hero but ended up as the punchline.

On the other hand, we can take some solace from the fact that Republicans and Democrats are in agreement for a change.  Both agree that Trump won and Democrats lost.

As a footnote: Trump and the GOP need to understand that this was only a skirmish.  The greater battles lie ahead – and Democrats will unite against Trump in every way possible.  I still see Democrats taking control of the House in 2026.

So, there ‘tis.