* Pollsters are always interested in who the American people blame for a government shutdown. Back in 2013, here’s what a CBS News poll found:

Republicans in Congress receive more of the blame for the shutdown: 44 percent of Americans blame them, while 35 percent put more blame on President Obama and the Democrats in Congress.

In reporting on that, they even went back and reminded us that “in November 1995 , 51 percent of Americans blamed the Republicans in Congress, while 28 blamed President Bill Clinton.”

Here is what YouGov reported back in 2013:

All of that is for comparison purposes because when it comes to polling on the shutdown last weekend, pollsters seem to have forgotten that Trump is a Republican. Here’s what Quinniapac reported:

The shutdown hurt Democrats in Congress and President Donald Trump more than Republicans in Congress, the independent Quinnipiac (KWIN-uh-pe-ack) University Poll finds. Democrats are responsible, 32 percent of voters say, while 31 percent say President Trump is responsible and 18 percent point to Republicans.

An NBC/Survey Monkey poll did the same thing.

* Former RNC Chair Michael Steele had some words for white evangelicals who continue to support Trump.

* Pastor/blogger John Pavlovitz pens an open letter to white evangelicals.

Dear White Evangelicals,

I need to tell you something: People have had it with you.

They’re done.

They want nothing to do with you any longer, and here’s why:

They see your hypocrisy, your inconsistency, your incredibly selective mercy, and your thinly veiled supremacy.

For eight years they watched you relentlessly demonize a black President; a man faithfully married for 26 years; a doting father and husband without a hint of moral scandal or the slightest whiff of infidelity. They watched you deny his personal faith convictions, argue his birthplace, and assail his character—all without cause or evidence. They saw you brandish Scriptures to malign him and use the laziest of racial stereotypes in criticizing him.

You’ll have to click on the link to read the rest of it. There’s no way to summarize this one.

* AG Sessions says that Trump kept his promise.

When President Trump was inaugurated, he made the American people a promise: “This American carnage stops right here and stops right now.”

It is a promise that he has kept.

What’s all the hoopla about? A  0.8 percent decline in violent crime during the first six months of 2017. By way of contrast, “there was a 4.4 percent drop in violent crime in 2013.”

* DKos Elections has a new tool: a tracker for open seats in state legislatures. So far they’ve only included data from Texas and Illinois, the two states that have passed their filing deadlines. But already there are some interesting trends.

Thirty Republicans in these two states aren’t seeking re-election compared with just 12 Democrats. That proportion is similar to what we’re seeing for the House, where 31 Republicans and 15 Democrats are retiring.

The uncontested seats (that is, where one major party isn’t fielding a candidate) tell the same story. Republicans aren’t running in fully 90 Democratic-held districts, while Democrats are leaving just 41 GOP seats unchallenged. Those big disparities between the two sides both in uncontested and open seats speaks to a serious enthusiasm gap that’s favoring Democrats.

* Finally, this is a bit brutal. But that doesn’t take away from the fact that it is also pretty spot-on.

Our ideas can save democracy... But we need your help! Donate Now!

Follow Nancy on Twitter @Smartypants60.