On the first point the article itself shifts the burden for interpreting the poll to representatives from each party--one local Republican and one local Democrat. This enables the journalist to escape blame--which is liberally handed out in the comments--for having the temerity to tell voters how to think about what they are doing. You can see the lightning rod function of the quoting method at work in the comment thread where the anger and spite is directed at the named officials rather than at the journalist. The comment thread is quickly sealed after 158 comments, no doubt because the paper can see things are getting out of hand. There are a surprisingly large number of self described democrats who are disgusted with the shut down and well aware of the legislative history of the ACA. But its clearly war to the knife in Utah, especially in comment threads, with the Republican and "I am not a crank, sincerely yours" factions expressing the end-times fear and horror that researchers have noted as a significant component of modern day Republican thinking. The other thing which is notable is the projection: there is literally nothing that was done legislatively under Bush (the arm twisting, bribing, and illegal machinations around the 3 hour late night vote for Medicare, the refusal to seat Al Franken) which isn't misremebered as a Democratic invention.
My personal favorite in the "sounds like HISTORY" category is this one:
"Winning the white house and control of the Senate doesn't mean you get to play dictator. When the Demos had the WH and both houses of congress, they rammed through Obamacare using questionable procedures (as they deliberately delayed seating Mass GOP Senator Brown) and with zero compromise with the GOP."
This is like some insane version of telephone. Famously, Senator Brown had zero trouble getting seated--it was Al Franken who was held up for months. Several people repeat this, btw. The other comments--the ones that are pro-shut down, are similarly filled with specious logic like this:
Since Obamacare was passed the wrong way--using a simple majority in a Democratically dominated House, then
When the people returned control of the House to the GOP, the Demos can hardly cry fowl (sic) if the GOP uses procedures to stall implementation of the law.
Again: it was wrong for the Democrats to pass any laws and they did it the wrong way:
You mean like forcing a health care law through that barely passed even though it was done when dems controlled both houses and the presidency. And even then only by showing favoritism IE buying votes. That is truly reprehensible.
Just wait another year for midterm elections and more republicans win. Then the repeal will happen.
Here's one in the category of "I know what I know"
oldtrailer
posted 1 day ago
i do not believe that most Utahns are in favor of the Government not shutting down at all. stories like this are being supported by the Democrats and I have heard that some are actually being paid to write these stories to support Obamacare. anytime that I hear Jim Barkass's name you know it is propaganda. Everyone I know supports Mike Lee and Ted Cruize and the longer this goes the more they are appreciated. The Federal Government should be knocked down to size and lets restore our State Governments to where each State is a individual member of the Union with each state having equal power. We do not need a bully in the classroom that throws a tantram evry time that they eat more cookies than they should; in fact they want them all.
From someone calling themselves, absurdly in Latin "A firm Resolve Doesn't Know How To Weaken"
So, as much as I hate a government shutdown...it may be the last and only chance this country has to stop something that wasn't even read to us before it was made law. Do any of you even understand what is in Obamacare? You only know the good things that are shared by the media. You don't know the extra laws that will be mandated...I don't either. I want to know, but I don't think we should have to sit around and wait for all of this to be implemented to understand what we got ourselves into.
I am not a Tea Party "activist" nor am I an extremist. This is not the first time a government shutdown has taken place. They happen to get achieve compromise. However, I really am not sure it will work...not with how far down this road we have come, but I am willing to sit it out.
