Plausibility check: 1995 government shut down spirals out of control

I don't think it could go much more than it did because then you get the average American becoming aware of whats going on and making thier views known to the elected officials that represent them. At least that's how it looks from the outside.
 
The Republican Party will have aimed a Colt .45 at their collective temple, and flicked off the safety. Oh, and their hands shake when they're nervous. It would be political suicide and be (correctly) painted as another of Newt's temper tantrums disguised as an ideological power trip.
 
The only way that this could happen, as far as I can tell, would be for the Republicans to play an equal game in the press. OTL, they were outmaneuvered by the Clintons at every turn, and made to look like a bunch of crybabies. If they get better press, there's a chance that the American public will be divided enough, with about half pushing the Clintons to give in, and the other half pushing Congress. That could lead to an extended stalemate, though I don't know how long such a state of affairs could last before someone finally blinked.
 
Watch it Clinton! I gots me TWO guns and I's knows howta use em!-Two Gun Newt

The only way that this could happen, as far as I can tell, would be for the Republicans to play an equal game in the press. OTL, they were outmaneuvered by the Clintons at every turn, and made to look like a bunch of crybabies. If they get better press, there's a chance that the American public will be divided enough, with about half pushing the Clintons to give in, and the other half pushing Congress. That could lead to an extended stalemate, though I don't know how long such a state of affairs could last before someone finally blinked.
Ultimately, the government shutdown was a matter of appropriations. The House shut off the flow of money and refused to send a bill Clinton would sign. Apparently no one explained American Civics 101 to Newt. The glass bubble he lived in politically (one of those 99% white gerrymandered districts) didn't help either.

When the president takes us down the road to a disastrous foreign policy, HE owns it. When he pushes for the passage for a particularly new government policy or treaty (Versailles, Hillarycare, Tax Cuts), He owns it. A disastrous War? Oh Boy does HE own it. But when the US Congress fails to present a budget that the President will sign, it's up to Congressional Leaders to hammer out a compromise.

But "Newt" and "Compromise", during the shutdown, became antonyms. Newt truly believed he was going to impeach Clinton, impeach Gore for pardoning Clinton, and become President himself. Ridiculous? Of course. But Newt himself discussed the idea on TELEVISION for *****sakes.

This is why I would add a second Colt 45 pointed at the family jewels.:D
 
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I'm very sorry, sir. But your card has been declined...

As a survivor of the shutdown, a federal civil service employee who was forced to work fulltime without pay, (vital service) I remember the shutdown full well. Thank God for credit cards... :eek:
 

Anaxagoras

Banned
I really don't see it going much beyond what it did IOTL. The simple fact was that, in terms of pure political strategy and maneuver, Clinton could and did run rings around the likes of Gingrich.
 

Eurofed

Banned
Democratic party wins veto-proof supermajority in the HoR and filibuster-proof supermajority in the Senate in 1996, Clinton wins a landslide re-election, nobody cares about his sex life, health care reform is approved in 1998, Gore wins a confortable first term, invades Afghanistan in 2002 and spends the next few years stabilizing the bloody country with the help of large NATO expeditionary corps, America spends the 00s as the respected leader of a united Western world, budget is balanced without GWB tax cuts and expenses for Iraq, NATO bombs Iran into the Stone Age first time Amadinejad shows off his wanna-be nuclear Himmler mk.II complex ?
 
The only way that this could happen, as far as I can tell, would be for the Republicans to play an equal game in the press. OTL, they were outmaneuvered by the Clintons at every turn, and made to look like a bunch of crybabies. If they get better press, there's a chance that the American public will be divided enough, with about half pushing the Clintons to give in, and the other half pushing Congress. That could lead to an extended stalemate, though I don't know how long such a state of affairs could last before someone finally blinked.

Hmm maybe an earlier growth of the alternative media could do this?
Fox News was just comming on line then (maybe they could take away points and message from the regular established media earlier) and Matt Drudge came to prominence the following year

If the Alternative media takes shape and market share earlier (say 1994 they catch their stride) it would give the Republican's more of an outlet to counter CBS and other organizations that where more hostile to them and portrayed the shutdown as entirely their fault?
 
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