Shutdown/Reopening

I noticed that two of the eight Democratic senators who voted for reopening were from NH, a very purple state, so I looked up who the others were. Five of the other six were also from very purple states, Durbin of Illinois being the exception. Viewed from an entirely tactical perspective, the usual results when one party decides it needs to cut its losses is that the members in most jeopardy appeal to the leaders and say "You're killing us here. We need to switch or you have to give us something really nice to compensate with our electorate." When the pressure gets too much, the leader gets them a couple more votes from ultra-safe districts where they aren't going to vote for the other party no matter what. 

I don't think this means there are fewer ultra-safe districts for the Democrats this time, but that the ultra-safe districts are worried about primary challenges.  This is also very standard.  When one party dominates entirely in a place, factions within that party become more powerful and important. Dominic Cummings is convinced that most national party politics is about the members in safe districts competing for power within their own party, not against the other party. It Takes a Village You Didn't Build. 

When there are close votes with defectors from purple areas, there are claims of hypocrisy that they never cared about the principles they were shouting about 24 hours ago, only about their own advantage. So now it's all "Har, har! You never cared about hungry people at all, did ya?" I think that is always in the front of the minds of politicians in general, but I don't conclude from that that it is all hypocrisy.  I believe they do care about these things somewhat. I think I am more angry at the hyperventilating from supporters who were shouting "plague o'er the earth" yesterday if the government did not start SNAP benefits immediately who are now upset at the cost to the party of it happening. I'm not thinking of a recent Republican equivalent, but I expect there is one there somewhere. There usually is.