That Was Quick--Media moves from Shutdown to Obamacare

++Polling after the government shutdown has been disastrous for the GOP and Congress in general. This morning's Washington Post poll points to something that should worry the GOP, senior citizens have turned against the Republicans. I reported months ago that James Carville at Democracy Corps found the same phenomenon out and was surprised that the GOP was losing its elderly base. For any by-election where turnout is low, this post-50 white vote is critical.

++Now that the shutdown has been averted for now,all attention is on the screwups on the Obamacare health exchanges. Missing in the coverage is the success of some state exchanges such as Kentucky and the expansion of Medicaid in Ohio, which will insure another 260,000 people. We've been treated to every pseudo-IT person explaining the problems and laughed at computer expert Chuck Todd suggesting all the White House should do is add a few servers. Yes, the problems are real but it took Romneycare two months to get up and running and over 94% of people in Massachusetts are insured and they express an 84% satisfaction rate. 

++The quick switch of the media and the Right onto Obamacare has been stunning since we just avoided an economic apocalypse. I have been flooded with e-mails from conservatives crowing about the failure of Obamacare. Most of these rants come from people with Tricare, the military health insurance program. It is curious that they don't mention the cost-overruns of the F-22 and the fact that W said in 2005 it was "combat ready". 

++Just for the record, I already have health insurance and have received free medical exams courtesy of Obamacare and even received rebates. The clamor by the Right is that they simply do not want to see the uninsured have health care ,let alone health insurance.

++It looks like the GOP is down to a war against Obamacare and for more guns. The awesome meltdown during the shutdown has left the GOP unable to formulate any constructive policies about anything and exposed their insanity to the public. How it will play out through 2016 is anybody's guest. But my e-mails make it clear that they hate,really hate President Obama and really do believe he is a socialist and that he really is on a spending spree and that the deficit really is going up. This morning Harry Reid told the story of his meeting with President Obama where they finally agreed not to negotiate with those crazy people. Good luck because I believe that there will be another attempt to close the government down.

++The Epistemic Closure is coming in their clown cars to Virginia. This week we expect Mike Huckabee and Rick "Frothy Mix" Santorum to show up on the heels of the Duggar family to campaign for the Cooch. The Post reported that Virginians are disgusted with the whole crew, including the Macker. Anecdotally, I have heard Republicans say they will either not vote or write-in someone like Tom Davis or Lt. Gov. Bolling. The Richmond Dispatch, who always backs Republicans, wrote a scathing editorial on the Cooch and the Macker to say they would not endorse anyone. The Charlottesville paper, which generally endorses a moderate Republican, called for readers to write in Lt. Gov. Bolling. Hillary Clinton campaigned for McAulliffe at the State Theater in Falls Church. Bill Clinton comes in this week. Pro-Republican Rasmussen released a poll today that shows the Macker with a 17% lead over the Cooch. Why is this important? Because ,with only one exception,Virginia's Governor's race goes opposite to the party in the White House. 

++Gays are marrying in Asbury Park. That line is almost as improbable at the Honeymooner line about Ralph (Jackie Gleason) investing in uranium mines in Asbury Park. Same sex marriage is legal in New Jersey and Gov. Christie finally folded. 

++Kos of the Dailykos says that the House is really winnable for the Democrats in 2014. The generic polls show this now and the erosion of support among the GOP base shows that they may not be able to bet on old gizzers getting to the polls for them. But, yes, we are a year out and the economic apocalypse may happen and Obamacare might be wobbly. But the polling numbers are so strong the Big Money people behind the GOP are concerned. But once again, it is organization and mobilization that is the key.

++Marco Rubio, who has been twisting himself into a pretzel, says that the House GOP has every right to deny "Obama" immigration reform because of how he acted on the shutdown. I guess that ends the outreach program for the GOP. 

++Over the weekend I decided to take in what Frank Schaeffer is up to in his attacks on the Religious Right. I would highly recommend his recent interview on NPR about why the Religious Right is anti-American, anti-Obama, and revels in the government shutdown because they are anti-government. Then I turned to the sermon of Ted Cruz' father who is a Dominionist, who claimed that Ted Cruz had been anointed a King to bring the wealth to the Kingdom. In short, Defaulting on the national debt is a theological position that would trigger an economic apocalypse, which would bring the coming of Jesus Christ. As Frank Schaeffer pointed out in his interview, a number of the teabaggers including Michelle Bachman and Congressman Meadows, who wrote the shutdown record, believe we are living in the end times and want to hasten it by their actions. They will not compromise because they believe they are carrying out the will of God. Not a great way to run a railway or a government.