While it is a lot of fun to watch Democrats tear each other apart over the ending of the government shutdown, I also have to ask: what did they expect would happen? Republicans learned this lesson the hard way multiple times over. Yet Democrats seem shocked that they were held to the same realities.

In truth, here's what happened. Democrats march themselves into a place called Ambush Canyon with only one way in and out, and no leverage. They spent that time blaming everyone else for being in the ambush canyon. And now, they have to exit the same way they entered.

And yet, Democrats are mad at Senator Minority Leader Chuck Schumer for caving on the government shutdown. This is, of course, another reversal among Democrats who claimed for the last month that this was the Trump/Republican shutdown, and Democrats had nothing to do with it.

Now, they blame Schumer for caving on the Schumer Shutdown. This isn't just online activists. Now, elected officials and activists are calling for Schumer to go. This is the same demand they had earlier in the year when Schumer refused to shut down the government with Trump.

If you're Chuck Schumer, you're damned if you do, and damned if you don't. And he would know, because he's tried both options in the same calendar year. After both choices, his party wanted him out.

I'd call it a bipolar political party, but that implies only two wings are fighting. This is more of a multiple personality disorder situation in the Democratic Party - they don't know what they want to do with the shutdown, but whatever it is has to be done immediately.

In both situations, Schumer navigated into a difficult situation and mishandled it. This is his MO in big game politics. During Trump's first term, Schumer unwisely decided to filibuster now-Justice Gorsuch, for whom there was no rational reason to do so.

That encouraged Republicans to kill the judicial filibuster, push Gorsuch through, and set the stage for fewer problems when nominating Kavanaugh and Barrett. Had Schumer kept his powder dry and the judicial filibuster in place, he could have likely derailed the Kavanaugh or Barrett nominations (or both!).

Unfortunately for Schumer, he's not only bad at political strategy; he's also the only real leader left for Democrats. Obama's star is fading, the Clintons are aging out, no one cares about the Biden team, Pelosi is retiring, and most Democratic voters couldn't identify Hakeem Jeffries in a police lineup.

Fairly or unfairly, Schumer gets the full brunt of the rage of the Democratic base. And based purely on that, we can see that the Democratic base has lost its mind.

If you don't believe me on that, take the word of The Washington Post Editorial Board, which castigated the Democratic base for this failed shutdown, in a piece titled: "The shutdown was always going to end like this."

The Post blamed "angry activists" for getting Democrats to head down this road. "According to The Post, a perfunctory analysis of the history of government shutdowns in the U.S. shows that the party that "takes the government hostage" to advance its political aims, "almost never succeeds." The editorial board referenced Republicans' failed attempt at defunding Obamacare in 2013 and President Donald Trump's unsuccessful attempt to secure funding for the border wall in 2019 as evidence."

Regarding the eight Democrats who broke ranks and ended the shutdown, "These eight are taking heat from their party's progressive wing so that their colleagues don't have to. Notably, none of them are up for reelection next year."

The election part is vital because it's not about the general election; it's about preventing a Democratic activist class from primarying and kicking out Senators. John Fetterman is at the top of this list. He is doing everything possible to present himself as a middle-of-the-road Senator in a purple state to win re-election. This is anathema to Democrats, who now want him out despite his broad (and well-earned) popularity in Pennsylvania.

The good part is that the government is back open, and now Congress will move back to its regular business. That is the one annoying part of this entire process: Congressional work came to a grinding halt, which delays everything else.

That's the actual victory Democrats can claim: they delayed legislative action by Republicans. Based on the reactions anyone can see in the media, though, that's a hollow victory for the left. In fact, it's so hollow, it's counted as a loss.

Just another week in America, with the Democratic Party's multiple personalities. Can we call someone for this?