The longer this goes on, the more pessimistic I feel about how much Republicans actually have to lose in this fight.
Since the modern Republican philosophy seems to thrive on a lack of empathy for others, what is the reason for them to stop now? There aren't any elections in the near future, and the electorate generally gets amnesia from week to week. Slimmer government has always been the GOP goal, and if this goes on for a few months without any real noticeable consequences for those who are not directly affected, couldn't GOP just selectively open what they want and ignore the rest? Seems like something they could even campaign on with their base.
Furthermore, the longer the shutdown continues, the more the false equivalency bullshit will increase. People with a soul will care less about the $5 billion and the despicable manner in which it's being bargained for and more about the lives of those who are being hurt. It will be chalked up as two sides squabbling about their differences rather than painted as a harmful and cynical bargaining chip that should never be in play in the first place. People will just be more frustrated with government, which benefits the GOP to begin with. And then when Democrats finally bow to their consciences and approve the money, this tactic will just be used again.
I concede that I'm probably not as informed as some of the others here, but I just don't see how this will negatively affect Republicans long-term more than it already has. I'm not living in the US currently, so I'm sure you all can see things a bit more clearly, but man if I don't feel bummed out about it.