Desperate times bring desperate measures
Update : Edwardo Porter makes the same point, only he does a much better job of it. A bit off topic, but the impending government shutdown has me thinking in simple game theoretic terms. Some on the left (and right) seem to think that Congressional actions are "crazy" as government shutdown is likely to hurt the Republican party. After all, that's what happened the last time when Newt Gingrich shut down the government in 1995, which led to his demise and helped Clinton win reelection against Dole in 1996. It's probably fair to guess that, while this time is different (isn't every time, at least a little?), the shutdown will likely hurt the Republican party. So why are they doing it? Are they really crazy? Has the radical fringe taken over and leading us over the cliff to disaster? Well maybe. But maybe their actions, even if potentially disastrous, are rational and not surprising given the circumstances. It seems to me the Republican party is in a de