Seth Masket compares last week's near-shutdown to the 1995-1996 shutdown. Masket notices that Obama, unlike Clinton, didn't use the bully pulpit:
We have a lot of beliefs about how the president can change the public's mind and thus force Congress to do what he wants, but it's hard to point to many examples of this actually happening. Speeches, as Obama will surely tell you, can inspire people to service, encourage them to vote, rally your base, and many other things. But can they actually change your mind? Can they change the mind of a member of Congress? Not often.
The Dish 