“We’ve been pushing this fight because we believe we can win the public-relations battle,’’ an operative aligned with these conservatives told me. “Unlike 1995, when Newt Gingrich shut down the government, we now have all these ways to amplify our message: the Tea Party, Fox News, the conservative blogosphere.’’ But, he added, “Our strongest leverage point was November 3rd, and every day after that we’re losing a bit of momentum. We feel if we don’t fight now, we won’t have any credibility with our constituents.’’

A shutdown over the continuing resolution would have clarified who was right in this debate, without posing any real risk to the economy. But that of course didn’t happen, so nothing has been resolved. Instead, Washington has turned to the next big fight, where the stakes are much, much higher. If Congress fails to raise the federal debt limit, the government will default, which all parties agree would have catastrophic effects on the economy.

The great danger is that conservatives frustrated by their leadership’s unwillingness to force a shutdown will try again as the parties attempt to negotiate the debt ceiling. They still believe that Americans want greater cuts than Democrats will agree to, and that the opportunity to impose those cuts is fast slipping away. Their frustration is evident. A number of conservatives in the House and Senate have announced that they’ll vote against the budget deal. And some of them now say they’re prepared to refuse to raise the debt limit, as well.