Keller @ Large: Voters Not Impressed With Political Fear-Mongering

BOSTON (CBS) - I tweeted a request for comment on the impending government shutdown Monday, and what people tweeted back to me was pretty interesting.

Only one person expressed serious concern about the situation. The rest ran the gamut from cynical to very cynical.

Read: What's Open, What's Closed

"They've shut it down 12 times since I was born," wrote Joe A. "We're all still doing ok."

Listen to Jon's commentary:

This extreme skepticism was a common theme.

"So sick of politicians playing games like this. While our government shuts down THEY still get paid!" said Karen K. "Not concerned at all," wrote Randy C. "I have become numb to the concept of a government shutdown after being threatened so many times," added Chris D. "It seems like fear mongering by the parties."

Yes, exactly.

It is simply not accurate to claim, as the Democrats do, that a shutdown is an act of political "terrorism," the adjective they've carefully chosen, or that it's even especially unusual. Their credibility in predicting the apocalypse is hovering close to zero.

And it is simply not fair to claim, as the Republicans do, that Obamacare is Armageddon. Of course the unknown is unpopular. But the plan deserves a chance to succeed or fail, without hysterical pre-judgement. Zealots who insist otherwise also lack credibility.

Unfortunately, fear-mongering often seems to be the best our political elites can manage. And on my Twitter feed at least, the voters are not impressed.

You can listen to Keller At Large on WBZ News Radio every weekday at 7:55 a.m. You can also watch Jon on WBZ-TV News.