From Grover Norquist:
“They hurt the conservative movement, they hurt people’s health care, they hurt the country’s economic situation and they hurt the Republican party,” he says. “And a lot of congressmen and senators are not going to win because we spent three months chasing our own tail — or at least, parts of the conservative movement spent three months chasing their own tail.”
He also compared the Defunders’ strategy to that of the Iraq invasion.
“These are the people who said, ‘Plan: Step One, Invade Iraq. Step Two, It turns into Kansas,’” Norquist says. “Could I ask if there’s anything in between Step One and Step Two? ‘Oh ye of little faith.’”
The Cruz Coalition has the serpent-dove balance backwards. The idea is to advance the goals and ideals of the dove using the tactical shrewdness of the serpent. The Cruz Coalition instead advances the goals of the serpent using the guileless tactics of the dove. A dangerous reversal.
Even if these foolish people in Congress have learned their lesson, the angry people who put them there have not. Politicians have to compromise and make deals; it's just the way it works. That will never play for these members back home.
Maybe this thing just runs out of steam. It's unlikely, but it's possible. We'll see in January.