In the strictest sense, Democrats can't "win" the government shutdown conflict that now hangs over Washington, at least not completely. When it's over, President Trump will continue to ravage the federal government, undermining its ability to serve the public, while, at best, Democrats will only garner some of the policy concessions they are seeking. Much as we might like it to be otherwise, a refusal by Democrats to sign on to a budget bill will stop few of the horrors we're likely to experience over the next three years.
But there are better losses and worse losses — and the worst would be congressional Democrats folding without exacting the highest price they can.
To the surprise of no one, a White House meeting Monday afternoon with the President and leaders from both parties produced no progress. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said afterward that Democrats would not agree to a bill that "continues to gut the health care of everyday Americans," while Vice President JD Vance said, "I think we're headed to a shutdown because the Democrats won't do the right thing."
So the shutdown nears. The most useful way for Democrats to think about this fight is to ask what realistic outcome they would like to see when it ends, then work backward to arrive at a strategy most likely to get them there.
This is a preview of Paul Waldman's latest column. Read the full column here.
