Karl Rove Warns Government Shutdown Could Deepen Public Distrust in Washington

As Congress hurries to avert a government shutdown, GOP strategist Karl Rove has made a grim prediction about who could suffer the most politically. Both Republicans and Democrats are trading blame before next week’s spending deadline, but Rove says the true loss will be public faith in their leaders.

Rove compared current politics to shutdowns from the mid-1990s. He noted that during shutdown confrontations, the party that controls the narrative or secures substantial concessions frequently polls better. He noted that this time, public trust in Washington may be the bigger casualty than a political party.

Rove listed three elements that normally determine shutdown showdowns: which side wins, whose party energizes its voter base with a stronger message, and whether other issues overwhelm the shutdown by election time. Despite political strategy, recurrent shutdown threats create a sense of incompetence among American elected officials, he said.

He noted that in 1958, nearly 70% of Americans trusted the federal government most of the time. That number is now just over 20%. Rove blames lawmakers’ unwillingness to settle on budgets and spending plans for this confidence crisis.

The current dispute concerns health care and funding. Republicans want a short-term extension to keep the government open, while Democrats want to reverse Medicaid cuts and prolong Affordable Care Act tax credits. Since neither party is prepared to compromise and the House is not slated to reconvene before the deadline, a shutdown is increasingly likely.

American politics has increasingly featured shutdown threats, but Rove indicated that their long-term damage is larger than either party’s short-term gains. As politicians stall, the question is no longer who will be blamed but whether Washington’s leaders are undermining democracy’s trust.

Sources

The Wall Street Journal, Associated Press