How to counter the Shumer Shutdown talking point

The purely procedural vote to invoke cloture is being framed by Republicans and their strategists as a “vote to shut down the government”. Actually it was a vote to end the filibuster and bring the CR to continue short-term government funding to a vote on the Senate floor. It needed 60 votes to pass.

The fact that the measure failed by a vote of 49-50 is being used by Republicans (who are counting on the ignorance of some voters and the superficiality of much of the news coverage) as an example of Democratic obstructionism. They are banking on the fact that many will not realize that this was not a close vote, that 5 Democrats voted for the measure, and that 5 Republicans (including McConnell whose vote was purely procedurally strategic) voted with the majority of Democrats.

Despite these facts, Republican and RW talking heads will frame this as a close vote with Schumer instructing his caucus to obstruct, thereby forcing a government shutdown.

If Republicans want to frame this procedural vote as a “vote to shut down the government”, counter the talking points with these facts:

Five Republicans voted “yes”.
Five Democrats voted “no”.
The vote failed 49-50
McConnell and Schumer voted the exact same way.

If I encounter someone who understands the nuances of last night's procedural vote, I am simply going to point out the following: The vote was not even close because Trump/McConnell failed to win over 5 members of their own party and 3 additional Democrats and/or Independents. This is a Republican failure.