The Dems had the ball the first 2 years of the Obama administration and ran up both yardage and goals - think ObamaCare.
Now that we handed the ball to the Republicans, they decide to give it back without gaining either ground or points?
The Dems are thoroughly competent, and don't give up. HillaryCare was blasted, but they came back and passed ObamaCare. What they learn from history is that persistence fails, and the Republicans get tired.
One shutdown gets blamed on Newt, and the Republicans run in fear from the idea of any new shutdown. Yet, in Wisconsin and Minnesota, the Dems force shutdowns trying to get the local Republicans to turn tail like the National Republicans.
The Dems learn from failure, and success. The Republicans don't seem to learn at all, at least not on the national stage.
Eh, maybe need new glasses ...