In 2013, at just this time of year, the government shut down for 17 days. At the time, it was one of the longest shutdowns. Then, as now, it hinged on the Affordable Care Act, which was slated to come online on Oct. 1. House Republicans, under the influence of Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and many conservative outside groups, were determined to stop it. Since funding for the ACA was not a discretionary budget item, it would not be affected, but that didn’t stop Republicans from refusing to pass a budget that didn’t defund — or, at the very least, delay — the new program.

The GOP eventually caved, and in the end, the media scored it as a Democratic win since they not only succeeded in raising the debt ceiling but also staved off the assault on their signature health care legislation. Still, the

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