“I was stating their POV on the matter, not my own.”
Like I said, I take you at face value, I believe you.
So, I’d ask you to re-read your post. This is what you wrote in full:
“The shutdown only hurt the Republican party’s image because one, the media refused (as usual) to report the truth, such as closing memorials to vets costing more than to have let them remain open, and two, because the GOPe tried to distance itself from Cruz and doing the right thing, like the unprincipled cowards that they are.”
There is no indication that the shut down hurting the Republican Party image is not your own point of view.
I am not saying it is your POV, but what and how you wrote made it seem like you agreed or accepted that the shutdown hurt the Republican Party image.