# How is "shutting down the government" a winning strategy? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [September 18, 2013, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-shutting-down-the-government-a-winning-strategy/669152 "2013-09-18T16:40:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 16
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2013, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-shutting-down-the-government-a-winning-strategy/669152/301 "2013-09-27T16:23:44Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > … smart conservative policies, Wow, can’t wrap my brain around that one. Nominations for Oxymoron Of The Year are now closed. The costs are going to go down because of an influx of young healthy people buyng insurance, despite the creepy commercials showing a speculum-wielding Dirty Uncle Sam. Yes, wait times may increase at first until the market sorts out the new demand-driven dynamics. In the end, it’s going to work and it will soon be as unthinkable to dismantle Obamacare as it is Social Security. ---
**Author:** ![Truman\_Burbank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecc23a/32.png) [@Truman\_Burbank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Truman_Burbank)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2013, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-shutting-down-the-government-a-winning-strategy/669152/302 "2013-09-27T18:12:50Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > That seems to be a part of the whole health care debate that never gets reported or analyzed. There are a certain number of people in the country, and some portion of them are going to be sick at any given time. There is also some number of doctors available to treat them. The passage of the ACA doesn’t change the numbers of supply and demand. When people predict long wait times, rationing of care, or death panels, isn’t it a tacit admission that there are people who need care but currently can’t get it? Unless they think that all these newly insured people will go to the doctor on a lark, taking their time away from the truly sick. Well, there is a \*lot \*of unmet demand, don’t we think? ---
**Author:** ![Drum\_God](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drum_god/32/44_2.png) [@Drum\_God](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drum_God)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2013, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-shutting-down-the-government-a-winning-strategy/669152/303 "2013-09-27T18:48:22Z")
> [@Truman\_Burbank](#): > > Well, there is a \*lot \*of unmet demand, don’t we think? So, the solution is to curtail supply until the demand literally dies off? ---
**Author:** ![Truman\_Burbank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecc23a/32.png) [@Truman\_Burbank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Truman_Burbank)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2013, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-shutting-down-the-government-a-winning-strategy/669152/304 "2013-09-27T20:08:14Z")
> [@Drum\_God](#): > > So, the solution is to curtail supply until the demand literally dies off? Um, no, I’m on the other side of this debate. That does mean, though, that I believe there a lot of people in need of health care who are currently not getting it. I was questioning **Robot Arm** ’s apparent assumption that “and some portion of them are going to be sick at any given time” was a relatively fixed variable. If we had universal coverage, that would be an accurate assumption. Currently, when uncovered people become covered, demand will certainly rise. But perhaps I’m unnecessarily pointing out the obvious. ---
**Author:** ![Truman\_Burbank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecc23a/32.png) [@Truman\_Burbank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Truman_Burbank)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2013, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-shutting-down-the-government-a-winning-strategy/669152/305 "2013-09-27T20:14:48Z")
"The passage of the ACA doesn’t change the numbers of supply and demand. " So I think is this incorrect, in the short run at least. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2013, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-shutting-down-the-government-a-winning-strategy/669152/306 "2013-09-27T20:16:52Z")
Yes, demand may well rise because people will seek medical attention earlier, when medical attention is more likely to be effective. Rather than wait for the condition to worse, in which case they will require a lot _more_ medical attention. “The cost/benefit ratio of prevention as compared to curative procedures is a positive value” - Ben Franklin ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2013, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-shutting-down-the-government-a-winning-strategy/669152/307 "2013-09-27T22:51:00Z")
> [@Truman\_Burbank](#): > > Um, no, I’m on the other side of this debate. That does mean, though, that I believe there a lot of people in need of health care who are currently not getting it. I was questioning **Robot Arm** ’s apparent assumption that “and some portion of them are going to be sick at any given time” was a relatively fixed variable. If we had universal coverage, that would be an accurate assumption. Currently, when uncovered people become covered, demand will certainly rise. But perhaps I’m unnecessarily pointing out the obvious. Back when I worked for the Evil Insurance Industry the actuaries had all sorts of statistics on how whenever coverage expanded in a market, for whatever reason, there was always an initial uptick as people “caught up” with routine care and the long-neglected problems. Just getting people up to date on vaccinations and routine screenings, even if nothing expensive was found, would cause a detectable uptick. So yeah, initially, there will be a demand bump. But hopefully it will be taking place in the doc’s office during scheduled visits rather than in the ER as actual emergencies. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2013, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-shutting-down-the-government-a-winning-strategy/669152/308 "2013-10-01T16:33:31Z")
So now that the government is shut down, who won? ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Parker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/35a633/32.png) [@Richard\_Parker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Parker)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2013, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-shutting-down-the-government-a-winning-strategy/669152/309 "2013-10-01T16:34:43Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > So now that the government is shut down, who won? The bears who live in National Parks? Or do they go hungry for lack of trash? ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2013, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-shutting-down-the-government-a-winning-strategy/669152/310 "2013-10-01T17:05:20Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > So now that the government is shut down, who won? TBD. But the smart moneys on Boehner losing, then the Republican Party. ---
**Author:** ![Bridget\_Burke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2013, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-shutting-down-the-government-a-winning-strategy/669152/311 "2013-10-01T17:07:31Z")
Today’s Google Doodle celebrates the 123rd anniversary of [Yosemite National Park](http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/USA-Update/2013/1001/Yosemite-National-Park-closed-for-its-own-birthday). ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2013, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-shutting-down-the-government-a-winning-strategy/669152/312 "2013-10-01T17:34:39Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > So now that the government is shut down, who won? That depends entirely on who can eventually control the messaging that the electorate will believe. Right now, the Tea Party Republicans and their media are out in full force, trying to convince everyone that “Obama won’t negotiate in good faith”, and “This is all Obama’s fault” Along with the message that “89.43% of the public don’t want Obamacare” (and other such made up nonsense) These are the message theys are desperately trying to push. If lots of people buy into them, the Tea Party Republicans win. If they do not, they lose. ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2013, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-shutting-down-the-government-a-winning-strategy/669152/313 "2013-10-01T18:04:29Z")
People already associate shutting down the government with Republicans, it will be very hard to change that. Specially when several leading republicans already came out against their party shutting down the government the past few weeks. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2013, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-shutting-down-the-government-a-winning-strategy/669152/314 "2013-10-01T23:08:04Z")
Republicans get the blame for being idiots. ---
**Author:** ![computergeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e56c9b/32.png) [@computergeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/computergeek)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2013, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-shutting-down-the-government-a-winning-strategy/669152/315 "2013-10-02T02:23:29Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > Republicans get the blame for being idiots. And they, particularly the Tea Party members, totally deserve it ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2013, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-shutting-down-the-government-a-winning-strategy/669152/316 "2013-10-09T22:31:05Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > Absolutely not. You don’t screw with the debt ceiling. So how do you feel now, with the government shut down and many Republican lawmakers, including Rand Paul, questioning whether defaulting will even be a bad thing? ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2013, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-shutting-down-the-government-a-winning-strategy/669152/317 "2013-10-09T23:29:26Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > Republicans get the blame for being idiots. Hmm, why d’ya s’pose that is, huh? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-shutting-down-the-government-a-winning-strategy/669152.md?page=15)