Life in general and politics in particular are filled with uncertainty and countless possible scenarios. A President Trump unrestrained by reelection constraints just takes it to a whole new level.
If there is no agreement over raising the debt ceiling by March 14, at least a partial shutdown will occur, adding even more volatility to an already churning Washington.
One challenge is that there may not be 218 members of the House who would agree on much more than the Pledge of Allegiance. House Republicans are hardly monolithic; some, it seems, are only marginally attached to the notion of having a national government. Even some of the touchstone issues that used to bring Republicans together don’t do that anymore.
One thing worth remembering as all of this unfolds is that rarely does either party or any political figure emerge as the “winner” of a shutdown showdown. There are generally only “losers” and “survivors.”
Could such a crisis affect Trump politically? Probably not as much as you’d think, no matter if he receives credit or blame.
Historically, presidents have enjoyed early
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