Republican politicians have been grossly ineffective, that's true. Unless they really wanted to take the gloves off, Obama is going to beat them every time. The Republicans are still playing by the Marquess of Queensberry Rules while Obama, Holder, Reed, and Jarrett play by Stalin's and Pol Pot's Rules. The Republicans are battling Marxism and Communism, but they dare not say it because they might get accused of being racists.
They had Obama at his weakest after the 2010 elections, and they elicited budget cuts, but most of those were on the side of Defense, and ZERO came out of entitlements and give away programs. Fail. Pure fail.
When Reid went nuclear in the Senate and changed 200 years of decorum and procedure, the Republicans should have stormed into Reid's office and demand to be arrested if forced to leave.
The government shutdown was never an area to win. Without the Senate and the White House, there is little the GOP can do.
If I were Boehner, I would just impeach Obama and get it over with (the charges are numerous, and everyone knows it). The Senate would not even hold the trail this time, but so be it. At least the GOP would force the evil forces out into the open.