Become a fan of the Political Gabfest on Facebook. We post to the Facebook page throughout the week, so keep the conversation going by joining us there. Or follow us @SlateGabfest!

To listen to the discussion, use the player below:

Subscribe in iTunes ∙ RSS feed ∙ Download ∙ Play in another tab

Live Hang Up and Listen Gabfest! With special guest Bob Costas. New York City, Nov. 11, 7:30 p.m. Tickets.

Get the Gabfest Extra every weekday as long as the shutdown lasts!

On this week’s Slate Political Gabfest, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss why government shutdown negotiations look particularly grim this time around. They also discuss the rollout of Obamacare, and a Pew poll that shows more American Jews becoming nonreligious and marrying outside their faith.

Here are some of the links and references mentioned during this week's show:

• House Speaker John Boehner says he won't allow a federal default, the New York Times reports.
• A CBS poll conducted after the shutdown began found that 72 percent of Americans disapprove of it.
• The work of Yale political scientist Juan Linz explains why the American political system is doomed, Matt Yglesias writes.
• Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius asked Americans to cut Healthcare.gov the same slack Apple gets when it releases a new product.
• Republican governors in the most competitive re-election races are taking Medicaid money, John writes.
• A Pew survey found that 22 percent of American Jews are nonreligious.

Emily chatters about the documentary Let the Fire Burn.

John chatters about a lake in Tanzania that turns animals to stone.

David chatters about the art exhibit The Alien's Guide to the Ruins of Washington, D.C.

Topic ideas for next week? You can tweet suggestions, links, and questions to @SlateGabfest. The email address for the Political Gabfest is gabfest@slate.com. (Email may be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)

Podcast production by Mike Vuolo. Links compiled by Rebecca Cohen.