I certainly agree that obstructionism in and of itself isn't really something politicians should fear, but of course one has to look at how the press covers these things. Peoples' perceptions of whether "Democrats failed" or "Republicans obstructed" depend on large part on whether the press reports that "Democrats failed" or that "Republicans obstructed."
Though, of course, not all of the blame is with the press. The Democrats aren't pushing this narrative aggressively. It is unclear to me why exactly that is. But I'm just an idiot with a cable modem and they're members of the Greatest Deliberative Body in the World so maybe I should just be quiet.
