US Shutdown the $24 Billion Mistake

The great polarization racked our political system for 16 days in October 2013 and while it was a win for President Obama and Democrats, everybody shed some political blood, and S&P estimated the direct economic loss to the US was $24 Billion.

The GOP was unified by fear of the wrath of the extremist conservative Tea Party apparatus, mostly directed by the Heritage Action Fund, FreedomWorks and the Club for Growth organizations.  The organizations promised to oppose any Republican straying from the fold in the 2014 primaries.  87 Republicans felt safe enough in their districts to vote Yea on the final bill extending US funding through 2013 and into January 2014.  Oregon Rep Greg Walden is evidently feeling insecure, he voted Nay.

The influence of the extreme Right-Wing groups is based mostly on big money, Koch and other Right Wing supporters - the number of Republicans who say they are favorable to the Tea Party was once at 46%, but have fallen to 27% of Moderate Republicans and Independents according to CNN.

"The Tea Party’s favorability rating has fallen across most groups since June, but the decline has been particularly dramatic among moderate and liberal Republicans. In the current survey, just 27% of moderate and liberal Republicans have a favorable impression of the Tea Party, down from 46% in June," a release from the Pew Research Center said.
Cruz has become much more visible during the shutdown and the showdown leading up the shutdown. And the poll indicates Cruz's popularity among tea party Republicans has soared, from 47% in July to 74% now. But among those who say they are non-tea party Republicans, the freshman senator from Texas and possible 2016 GOP White House contender's unfavorable rating jumped from 16% to 31%.
The Pew Research Center poll was conducted October 9 to 13, with 1,504 adults nationwide - including 655 Republicans and independents who lean toward the GOP - questioned by telephone. The survey's overall sampling error is plus or minus 2.9 percentage points.

 We  seem assured that this battle will rage again in early January 2014, who knows if we'll get another attempt to hold the debt limit and force a default?  The extremists seem willing to have another go at it.