Did the Democrats Really Blow It in the Shutdown Battle?

As the longest shutdown in US history unfolded, we had seen the Democrats holding to the line that the Obamacare (Affordable Care Act or ACA) incentives that were killed in the “Big Beautiful Bill” must be restored.

When 8 Democratic senators (none of whom will be on the ballot in 2026) broke with the party on this position, there were cries of outrage from many Democrats who had felt empowered by their members for standing up to Trump and the Republicans.

But was this possibly a strategic move?