evidence: "While this is not the solution any of us prefer, it is the most prudent path forward under the present circumstances," Johnson wrote. "As history has taught and current polling affirms, shutting the government down less than 40 days from a fateful election would be an act of political malpractice." [...] "So far, nothing has come up that we can’t deal with," said Cole, R-Okla. "Most people don’t want a government shutdown and they don’t want that to interfere with the election. So nobody is like, ‘I’ve got to have this or we’re walking.’ It’s just not that way." [...] The final result — government funding effectively on autopilot — was what many had predicted. With the election just weeks away, few lawmakers in either party had any appetite for the brinksmanship that often leads to a shutdown.