Reading reports like this confirms a feeling that I was getting over the weekend. The longer the shutdown goes, the greater the stakes for the combatants. That’s because of the “Was it worth it?” factor. If Trump caves now, he’ll look so much worse than if he’d avoided the shutdown in the first place. If Nancy and Chuck take a dive, the Democratic caucus will be furious.“We went through all that for nothing?” Particularly for Pelosi, it would be a horrible way to launch her speakership. So it’s like when a gambler says “double or nothing” every time he loses a pool game. Each time, the stakes get higher, but the incentive to keep taking your chances increases as well.