I'm not saying it is the smart move to fold just better messaging than whatever this is

The GOP really really wants to touch the hot stove (got flooded with angry middle class small business people having their health premiums go up by thousands a month) and there is literally nothing Dems can do to convince them to move their hand away. We are all getting burned.

At this point trying to force this GOP to vote provide more government help to get health care is like trying to force the GOP to vote to legalize all abortion. It is not happening. They are the anti-health care party.

Not sure how Dems could ever "win" the shutdown because of the demand they choose. Taking away government help to get health care has become the whole point of the GOP for the past decade. By choosing this fight Dems could only hope to point out just how much the GOP wants to take away health care.

He also just frankly looks good on camera, which is increasingly becoming a very important skill to win.