There's an excellent analysis at Electoral-Vote.com. (Electoral-vote.com is highly recommended go-to reading.)
https://www.electoral-vote.com/evp2025/Items/Nov10-1.html
Personally, I think it is the right move. It funds SNAP, restores travel, opens the house, protects federal workers, and does a number of other good things. (It does some bad things too. But that’s the price of compromise.) I think the Dems actually won a lot — I think we should not underestimate the role the shutdown played in driving electoral outcomes, such as the governorships of VA and NJ, the mayor of NYC, even the changes to the GA election board (correction: public utilities board) and breaking the supermajority in MS.
I think that holding out for more is playing desperate defense at one's own end zone. That's how you prevent disaster, not how you win the game. The way you win is you pass laws that work. (Like we did in MN when the democrats took the trifecta in 2023.) You pass paid family and medical leave. You make breakfast and lunch free for all kids (not means tested!). You pass laws protecting reproductive freedom, and trans people. You create new “safe and sick time” legislation. You show that that makes a better world.
The other thing I worry about is that people get used to anything. People get used to food sometimes making them sick (because we are running without food inspectors). People get used to long lines at the TSA (because they are working without being paid). I mean look at how we've normalized getting sick from communicable diseases (because we never fixed our HVAC systems in buildings and schools). Or how we've normalized losing your life savings because you had a hospital emergency. People still die from both flu and covid, both of which are often preventable. Or hell, gun violence.
So I worry about running too long under the negative space of the shutdown. I don't want people to get used to it. I want people to recognize that government is good and useful (which unfortunately means suffering when it is closed). And then I want them to get back to their lives. And THEN I want to make the case that the economy was good when we had high taxes on the wealthiest Americans and a strong safety net for everyone. (Not means tested! Means testing is bad.)
But I’m not a politician and there is a case to be made for fighting the good fight to the bitter end. So curious as to other’s thoughts.
