Many Americans have a measure of sympathy for the group of illegal immigrants known as "Dreamers," who were brought into the U.S. by their illegal immigrant parents.
But as last weekend proved, we're not so attached to them that we believe a political party should use them as hostages to force a government shutdown.
Democrats, in the eyes of most middle Americans and even in the angry scribblings of many pundits on the left, deserved the heaviest dose of blame for the shutdown and lost the public relations battle surrounding it before capitulating and voting to reopen the government on Monday.
In addition, amid the partisan bickering around the weekend's unpleasantness, we hope voters and the politicians they elect at least have enlightened themselves about a few other things.
» One of the main reasons President Donald Trump was elected was to fix illegal immigration. No matter what personal peccadilloes stick to him, no matter what embarrassments arise from what he says or does, Americans expect him to keep this promise.
In the run-up to the shutdown, Americans saw the Republican Party show flexibility by giving in to a Democrat Party-desired extension of the Children's Health Insurance Program and by being fully willing to discuss legalization for the "Dreamers." On the other hand, they saw the Democratic Party standing pat, a small nod to some additional Southern border defense money (money Democrats would rescind if they retake control of Congress in the fall) being their only concession.
» Illegal immigration, in general, is not now and won't be in the near future a warm and fuzzy issue Americans are willing to embrace.
Indeed, while a Harvard-Harris poll last week showed support for legalization of "Dreamers," it also showed backing for a Southern border wall with Mexico, limits to chain migration of family members and an end to visa lotteries. Further, poll respondents even prefer a limit on legal immigration, a majority endorsing a cut of at least 50 percent over current annual levels.
» Republicans, perhaps emboldened by the usual take-no-prisoners approach of Trump, did not allow themselves to be victims in this shutdown. Always blamed in previous shutdowns by Democrats and the national media, they hit back by labeling the issue the "Schumer Shutdown" (for Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer, D-N.Y.). Even callers to the White House were greeted with a message blaming the shutdown on Democrats.
White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said over the weekend the president doesn't have "the highest level of trust" in Democrats and hoped they would "come to the table ready to actually make a deal and less focused on playing political games." Even on Tuesday, Trump tweeted, "The Dems have just learned that a Shutdown is not the answer!"
» "Dreamers" aren't young children who face being wrenched from their parents' arms if no deal is forthcoming. The great majority of the approximately 800,000 people in question are adults. Today, they could be as old as 36; the youngest are high school-aged.
Democrats want voters to believe these people largely are children because that makes them more sympathetic, but the truth is many have been leading normal adult lives in the U.S. for years.
» A 69-hour government shutdown, despite the flames the national media breathlessly attempted to fan over the weekend, is not what it's cracked up to be.
The critical parts of the government - including all services called essential for national security and public safety - never shut down, and 1981 and 2011 Office of Management and Budget memorandums list many more federal functions that won't stop during a funding lapse. Mandatory government payments such as Social Security and veterans' payments continue, and government workers, if they are furloughed, wind up getting all of their back pay.
In addition, last weekend, as opposed to the shutdown in 2013 when then-President Obama unnecessarily closed parks, monuments and offices - a Park Service ranger said "we've been told to make life as difficult for people as we can" - Trump kept many places open.
War memorials could be visited, the Smithsonian and other museums remained open, areas at some national parks were accessible and the American Forces Network even was available for soldiers to watch National Football League playoff games.
All of the above doesn't mean we won't be threatened by another government shutdown in two weeks, on Feb. 8, when the continuing resolution signed Monday ends. We would like to think both parties would have what's best for the country in mind in making such heady decisions as shutting down the government, but we'd be kidding ourselves. Perhaps, at least in this instance, the realization has been made that illegal immigrants - "Dreamers" or not - are the wrong bait to use in making such a ploy. Time will tell.