Just for a second, put down the "red team fan v. blue team fan" prism and look through either

[No Elephants]

your American prism or your 99% prism. Or at least alternate between your American prism and your "blue team fan vs. red team fan" prism.

A lot of discussion about poll results has centered around who the the shutdown is hurting more, Democrats or Republicans?

Well, this makes sense if you are a politician or a pollster, but not if you are an ordinary American. If you are not a pollster or a politician, your questions may more logically be about how the shutdown is helping or hurting America and Americans, and how. And, heaven forfend, what, if anything we should be doing to minimize the hurt. (why these questions do not seem to concern "our" representatives of either party enough is another issue, way too big for this post.)

If you look, even at the polls, through a prism, other than the "red team, blue team" prism, you may notice that Americans may or may not like Obama, specifically, but they are pretty fed up with their entire federal government--which, of course, plays into Republican hands more than into Democratic hands.

So, yes, Republicans are polling worse than Democrats and this may help defeat some individual Republicans next month. This is especially good news for Virginia, IMO, since the Cuccinelli was ahead for a while and looking like he would defeat McAuliffe, who had already lost in Virginia once and probably should not have been the Dem candidate anyway. (While I am not sorry to see Cuccinelli go down, I am sorry that the alternative is McAuliffe.)

But, long term, is it really good for America and Americans that we are disgusted with federal government? And, taking up my "red team, blue team prism again, is it even good for Democrats?

Also, 60% of Americans say the country needs a third party. (Of course, the country has five major political national political parties and about 28 more official parties that are not considered major, so 33 national political parties, not counting regional, state or local, but why should I bring up facts to politicians and their pollsters and 60% of Americans with facts?)

I think, if the poll questions were put correctly (a first?), the 60% would have said that parties other than the Republican Party and the Democratic Party should have easier access to ballots and more coverage by media so that we could have, heaven forbid, informed voters and a somewhat more even playing field in elections.

But, how does the desire of 60% of people polled for a so called third party benefit either Republicans or Democrats?

[Enthusiast]

1. The consensus is:

Most Americans feel both parties have failed us. I agree that both parties have handed over power to the corporations. This has been destructive to the interests of working class Americans. Depending on what your interests are, of course.

[No Elephants]

2. I saw a snip of a clip of protestors. One of them said something like, "You're fighting each other

but the people are the ones getting hurt."

So, the proverbial "man in the street" gets it.

The politicians, the pundits and other talking heads, however, are obsessed with who the shutdown is hurting more, Democrats or Republicans.

Wrong prism.