What was the primary reason for the government shutdown?

Question

Wasn't it to de-fund "Obamacare"? But closing government had nothing to do with stopping "Obamacare." It was already funded. So, wasn't it really done as a blackmail ploy to force Obama to delay "Obamacare"? Isn't that extortion, and why would the president cave to extortion, especially when 70% of Americans said it was wrong for Republicans to close the government for that reason?

Answer 1

The only reason was the extortion tactic by House Republicans to refuse to fund the government unless Obamacare was derailed.



The budgetary terms of the Continuing Resolution had already been negotiated between Democrats and Republicans.



Democrats refused to cave to the hostage-taking and Republicans carried out their threat to shut down the government.

Answer 2

The primary motivation for the shut down is impulsive unfocused hatred. Refute me by presenting a coherent explanation for the actions of republicans. They don't have one, do they? That's why you're asking the question. You don't know why because they haven't explained why and there are no obvious material factors or dynamics that explain it either.



I would in fact go so far as to argue you are wrong about the 'extortion'. Extortion implies a level of coherence and intent that simply is not evident in any of these actions. Republican conduct is not organized or coherent enough to establish a comprehensible motive such as extortion.



The "reason" is...



>>> just because they figured they can <<<



... and just because, they can, they do. They don't know why, there is no goal or plan. They just recklessly hate government, society and humanity so they act with spiteful destructive impulse wherever and whenever they perceive their actions might cause harm.

Answer 3

The Republicans wanted Spending Cuts. The Democrats told everyone through the Liberal Media that it is only about Obama-Care. Now it seems that the Democrats have gotten it through everyone's head that Republicans want Health Care gone and destroyed. That's not the case, but every one of the Uninformed still thinks that Obama is a living God and will follow him down the path towards our mutual destruction.

Answer 4

Republicans sent a funding bill for even over the amount wanted to the

Democrat controlled Senate. It did not include funding for Obamacare,

however. So, the Senate rejected it, thereby since government agencies

were not funded, the government had to shut down. If they had accepted

the bill the Republicans sent them, there would have been no shut down

AND there would have been no funding for Obamacare either. Democrats

cared more for Obamacare than government continuing to be funded. They

should have signed the government funding bill and worried about

Obamacare later.

Answer 5

The primary reason for the government shutdown was John Boehner's need to hold on to his house seat. If he did not bow to the Tea Party's extremist demands, they would run a tea party candidate against him in 2014 and oust him. So he is refusing to hold a clean vote in the House of Representatives, which has enough votes to pass, because he is being blackmailed by a minority of members of his own party.

Answer 6

Actually the last plan given by the repubs did not kill Obamacare and ONLY asked for the same 1 year delay to the individual mandates that Obama already gave to the businesses.



So it seems a rather small point and it is annoying that both sides are shutting down the gov't over this.



But there in lies the problem. The liberal media is blaming the repubs without discussing the actual CAUSE. Fox is blaming the dems without discussing the actual CAUSE. The end result is that people who watch Fox are really angry with the dems. The people watching other news are really angry with the repubs. Only the relative few willing to look at what has actually occurred are angry with both sides.



Lance,

WOW a 60 billions reduction??? So you are claiming that the repubs want to reduce the deficit and the dems don't??? That is what you are saying, isn't it???



So we are now at a $16.7 trillion debt and you think that a $60 billion is a serious compromise by the dems AND you seem to think that we shoudl vote for the people who are generally against reducing the debt???

Answer 7

The reason for the shutdown is that Obama and the Dems. pushed through Obamacare with a bastardization of the established process. Ever since, all the Republicans have been interested in is making him pay for this, and not allowing anything else he wants to get through, since they now know how he plays the game. He won the ACA fight, and he's been paying for it ever since. This will continue until he's out of office.



Maybe the next president will learn from this.

Answer 8

The GOP negotiated a favorable bill that included $60 billion in spending cuts. Some in the GOP thought they could renege on that deal, add defunding Obamacare and the dems would keep caving.

Answer 9

Quit cryin' your entitlement check will arrive on time! Now it's about the debt ceiling. Have no fear though, the same government that is currently shut down wants to run your healthcare. In order to execute those duties faithfully, Obama has exempted the ruling elite from Obamacare. It was one of the first things the republicans put forward, "NO EXEMPTIONS FROM OBAMACARE." "Ridiculous" Reid says, "I won't even bring it up for a vote."

Healthcare is such a distraction! You don't want your leaders distracted by worrying about their own healthcare do you? They will continue to receive hefty taxpayer subsidies.

Answer 10

The right wing extremists like Cruz attaching an unreasonable provision to how they are against the law (defund/delay the ACA ) to the budgetary process.

Can you imagine the rep outrage if the dems tried to counter w/ gun control?

It seems like the only people who don't see the right wing extremism are the fox fed righties who implicitly follow right wing directions ...



http://www.gallup.com/poll/165317/republican-party-favorability-sinks-record-low.aspx

Answer 11

Cons over reached as usual



and Ted Cruz thinx he's gonna be president..lol

Answer 12

They misjudged, they spoke to each other and assured themselves that people didn't want it.

And would go to the mat to get rid of it.

Instead they are on the mat themselves, with this and with the sequestration and the upcoming debt ceiling fiasco. Americans want their government to function, not to close down due to a shutstorm of Republican tantrums.

Answer 13

The republicans have held their breath and had tantrums in the past and it's worked. This time, it isn't, and they don't have a back up plan.



They find themselves in the position of a dog who has chased a car, and doesn't know what to do once he's caught it.

Answer 14

Bullies in government funded my big corporations.



Billy Ray Valentine, "It was the Dukes, (Kochs).

Answer 15

What they really want is relaxing bank lending requirements AGAIN (true, they just demanded this), and giving rich guys MORE tax cuts for deigning to bring their companies back to US soil!

Amazing.

Answer 16

There is no government shut-down. Obama ordered SPECIFIC THINGS shut-down AT EXTRA EXPENSE to hurt AMERICANS so they'd lobby Congress to give-in to Obama's demands to SET-ASIDE normal lawful process.

Obamacare IS NOT "already funded." It is a HUGE NET EXPENSE, according to the Obama administration's own figures.

Answer 17

they hate Obama. Their stategy is the same as his first term= BLOCK EVERYTHING including a budget

Answer 18

There is that word again, extortion. But you don't get full credit from the liberal scoring team unless you accuse obama's political opponents of terrorism and hostage taking.

Answer 19

The 5th year in a row 0bama failed to present any sort of budget in direct violation of constitutional law .

Answer 20

I think they thought they could spook the Democrats into giving in.



They didn't consider that the American public would see through their rhetoric and it would ultimately boomerang.

Answer 21

Where do these "people" come from, GOOD GRIEF!!

Answer 22

To harass veterans. Because 0bama thinks we are terrorists, he said so.

Answer 23

republicans