It's possible. But I haven't heard from you (yet) how this failure strengthens Republicans. I'll be happy with either a naive or realistic version. I could be missing it, but I don't see it.
>> I haven’t heard from you (yet) how this failure strengthens Republicans.
Fair enough. Let me try:
The Republicans, self-serving ineffectual short-sighted weak-willed douchebags that they are, aren’t operating from a position of strength.
However, they DO have some “gunpowder” that they need to keep dry, to wit, the power of the purse. Specifically, right now, they can bring the Kenyan monkey’s government to its knees by failing to authorize an increase in the debt. They can also bloody The One’s nose in other fiscal ways. IF they hang tgether — admittedly, an outside chance for such a group of losers as the house (R)s.
By NOT squandering that powder on a dumb deal, they at least retain what little strength they have, so that they can use it more wisely to obtain some REAL spending reductions, not that fake smoke and mirrors crap that blue-lips is promising.
IF they are able to stand together and, through force of character and wisdom, effect some REAL spending reform, they WILL gain in respect and goodwill from the electorate — e.g. they’ll increase their strength.
But as soon as they shoot their wad on one or another of Boner’s Obama-buttkissing deals, they lose ALL the leverage they USED to have.