Some of the politicians in Washington may not seem to care much about the repercussions of a shutdown. But they do care about themselves -- and more specifically, how all this will affect their chances of being reelected. In that vein, a new Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll has some interesting results. It suggests that Republicans -- particularly those in the so-called Tea Party wing of the party -- are taking a hit in popularity thanks to the budget battles.
Why do we have government anyway? It does a good job of running the military, and it has managed to keep payment systems going -- although not as smoothly as I would like. It is also a fairly good protector of consumers from the risks of businesses that might otherwise deliver dangerous products in pursuit of profit. Whether government programs are the best way to pay for health care or retirement expenses isn't clear to me. But one thing isn't unclear at all: If a government shutdown occurs, it will be a political stunt focused on affecting the 2012 election results. The numbers being battled over will have virtually no impact on reducing America's budget deficit. And if a shutdown lasts for any length of time, it could hurt prospects for solving the biggest problem we face -- getting 13.5 million unemployed Americans back to work.
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