New polling suggests that neither side is winning the messaging war around the government shutdown, with most Americans believing that the funding lapse is not worth the pain it may be causing. Democrats, meanwhile, seem to have used the chaos to rally their despondent base — to a degree. 

Senate Democrats successfully blocked a House-passed funding bill three separate times in recent weeks, despite Republicans’ insistence that the bill is meant to keep the lights on while the appropriations process plays out. Democrats, who are demanding an extension of Covid-era expanded healthcare subsidies, believe that they can win the political battle once people start getting notices about increased health insurance costs.

If the polling is any indication, however, most voters don’t seem interested in the fight. A new poll from CBS News released Sunday shows that everyone is getting blamed for the shutdown. Only 32 percent approve of how President Trump has handled the situation, 27 percent approve of how Democrats are dealing with the shutdown, and 28 percent disapprove of how Republicans have handled the funding lapse. 

The same poll suggests that either pluralities or majorities of voters disapprove of how each of those three separate groups have handled the situation. On the question of who they blame for the shutdown, 30 percent say congressional Democrats, 39 percent blame Mr. Trump and the GOP, and 31 percent say both sides are equally at fault. 

Democrats’ demands are not even as well-known as one might expect, given how much the hundreds of lawmakers on Capitol Hill have been talking about healthcare costs. Just 36 percent of poll respondents say the fight is about healthcare, while 29 percent believe it is some combination of healthcare, the deficit, immigration, and taxes. A sizable number — 20 percent — say they do not know why the government is shut down. 

Despite most voters being wary of the political battle, Democrats seem to be rallying to their leadership. Back in March, ten Senate Democrats voted with Republicans to advance a funding bill to keep the government open, which enraged many activists and commentators who are influential in the party. Senator Chuck Schumer saw his favorable rating among fellow Democrats plummet as a result.

In the new poll, 62 percent of Democrats approve of how Mr. Schumer and other minority party lawmakers are handling the situation. Just 18 percent say they disapprove. A plurality of Democrats — 48 percent — say the party leadership’s demands about the health insurance subsidies are worth a shutdown, while only 24 percent believe it is not worth shutting down the government. 

In key demographic groups, Democrats seem to have shifted blame successfully to the GOP majorities in Congress and Mr. Trump himself. Among independent voters, 41 percent blame Republicans while 22 percent blame Democrats in Congress. Among self-identified “moderate” voters, only 17 percent place blame with the Democrats, compared to 42 percent who blame the GOP.