Why Democrats Shut Down the Government

"Klein agreed that these were reasonable positions at the time, but now, he argued, times have changed. The existing curbs on Trump's power look weak anyway, and his Presidency has moved out of its "muzzle-velocity" stage-a blitz of actions aimed at overwhelming opponents-and into a phase of "authoritarian consolidation" that Democrats can't in good conscience sanction. A shutdown, Klein wrote, would turn the "diffuse crisis" of Trump's corruption into an "acute crisis" that focusses popular attention-though the Party, he conceded, would need a strong message."

"Most agreed, however, that there would be a shutdown this fall, be it when government funding ran out, on September 30th, or following a temporary extension to that deadline, and that the only remaining question was whether the Party's message would highlight Trump's constitutional abuses-a crisis that must be addressed, for some; a sop to élite Times readers, for others-or a pocketbook issue such as health care."

A proposal emerged for Democrats to use a government shutdown to concentrate public attention on alleged presidential corruption and a shift toward authoritarian consolidation. Advocates argued that earlier institutional curbs now appear weak and that heightened confrontation could transform a diffuse crisis into an acute one demanding a clear party message. The proposal provoked heated debate within Democratic ranks, with some leaders previously averting shutdowns to preserve institutional checks and limit private-sector influence over agencies. Most Democrats expected a fall shutdown, and the central strategic dispute became whether to emphasize constitutional abuses or pocketbook issues such as healthcare.

Read at The New Yorker