@hawkeye10,
You're not listening to the right stations about who's winning this battle.
The GOP is in shambles, and are arguing amongst themselves on how to resolve this standoff. Most with some intelligence knows it'll hurt them in future elections.
The GOP is trying to put a positive face on this issue, but the longer they keep the government shut down, more people are losing their jobs. Many struggle from payday to payday. Lockheed-Martin will be laying off over 3,000 workers funded by the government on Monday. These are also voters.
I hope this goes on until they self-destruct.