Remember, Boehner kept saying that he wouldn't do the default thing? That was the dead giveaway. This whole shutdown/debt ceiling stunt had one objective and one objective only, and the Republicans succeeded in that objective.
More below the fold...
The point I'm about to make may also be true of Democrats as well, but to a much lesser extent. I mean, the Democrats are actually trying to govern, warts and all.
But the Republicans?
I think people err in considering that "conservatism" is an "ideology" that rightists subscribe to. Oh, sure, we have the death squads types in our country. We have religious fascists and such.
But the Republicans in Congress?
When was the last time you heard anyone seriously talk about campaign finance reform? Why does the Supreme Court make horrid decisions like Citizens United.?
It's because Republicans and right wing extremist Republicans especially aren't interested in government and they're not interested in ideology. They're main objective is to raise money. They're not they're to govern; they're there to raise money so they can get re-elected to raise money so they can re-elected to raise money so they can re-elected...and in so doing so prevent others from governing. But really it's about the money more than the preventing others from governing.
This was a fund raising stunt from the get-go. It's a fund raising stunt for Congress. It provides content to right wing media. Reading garbage like Hugh Hewitt is like reading North Korean media, but it's clear that grifters in right wing media and were overjoyed at this stunt, which is best described as right wing mutual pleasuring between the right wing media and the politicians that use them.
So, yeah, the Republicans achieved their objective. Follow the money, as they say..