What will voters remember next November?
President Donald Trump claimed total victory in the deal that ends the record-breaking 43-day shutdown of the federal government, and Democrats are directing their fire at one another over the compromise that some senators struck without achieving their avowed goal of helping on health care costs.
But almost precisely one year from today, when crucial midterm elections are held, history says the shutdown will be old news while the costs of health care will still be front and center.
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By master stroke or dumb luck, congressional Democrats may have won the long game by losing the short one on the shutdown. They have spotlighted the rising cost of health care and forced Republican senators to vote against premium help that Democrats support.
