Still, the president is also in real difficulty. If Americans believe Washington is a mess, then the unquestionable leader of Washington—the president—suffers along with everyone else. That’s why 57% of respondents in an Oct. 2-3 Gallup poll said that they felt more negative about Mr. Obama “as a consequence of the shutdown,” while 28% felt more positive.

The week before he was first elected, Mr. Obama’s favorable/unfavorable rating in the Fox News poll was 57%-39%. It took four years to drop to 53%-45% in Oct. 2012 and just one more year to fall to 47%-50% this month. A new Associated Press-GfK survey out yesterday had his approval rating down to 37%.

It is mystifying why Mr. Obama has weakened himself by being so unwilling to negotiate. At a moment when Americans are pining for compromise, the president offers rigid self-righteousness. The power of the presidency depends upon supple and subtle leadership. Surely he must know this. Unless the president engages in give-and-take, compromise and consensus-seeking, Washington doesn’t work.