tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2499771266402854669.post6643418445667497133..comments2024-02-08T01:44:24.272-05:00Comments on ModeratePoli: Dems in disarrayModeratePolihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01721945380057992971noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2499771266402854669.post-23486582208354909242017-01-03T16:03:32.381-05:002017-01-03T16:03:32.381-05:00If the election were held today, Hillary would win...If the election were held today, Hillary would win it in a walk. Seeing how Trump has handled himself would definitely turn people off, particularly with this Russia/Putin stuff. Trump now owns it and everything he does with the Rs is going to backfire. Count on it.Dangerousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2499771266402854669.post-57784296917270472862016-12-25T19:38:42.720-05:002016-12-25T19:38:42.720-05:00You won't get any argument from me that the De...You won't get any argument from me that the Dems were foolishly complacent about their situation. I've been saying that for years. I never imagined the GOP would ever nominate a candidate like Trump, but I always felt that, whoever they did nominate, they had a good chance of gaining the trifecta in 2016 and doing significant damage to Obama's agenda.<br /><br />But I think your understanding of the politics of fiscal policy has it exactly backwards. By far the most unpopular and controversial aspects of Obamacare have been its cost-saving measures: its tax increases, its Medicare budget reductions (the origin of the "death panels" hoax), and of course the so-called individual mandate. Had the Dems adopted the Bush Medicare D strategy of ignoring the deficit issue altogether, the program would have been a lot more popular.<br /><br />And now we just elected a candidate who ran promising to jack up defense spending, slash tax rates and leave Medicare and Social Security untouched. (Never mind that he's already reneging on the latter.) There simply isn't a shred of evidence that American voters respond favorably to serious efforts to rein in spending. What they respond favorably to is promising them free ponies. That's been true for at least the past several decades, and it remains true today.Kylopodhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06932528611103718373noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2499771266402854669.post-81695958392347435582016-12-22T14:51:25.308-05:002016-12-22T14:51:25.308-05:00I would have expected more incisive analysis from ...I would have expected more incisive analysis from you, MP. Obstruction was the reason for nothing getting done, and the focus on the president as lightening rod for disappointment and grievances is so much easier than practically anonymous people in Congress.<br /><br />$2 gas and under 5% unemployment would have been more than enough for a GOP candidate to run on. And after 2008 and 2012 the GOPs were supposed to focus on self-reflection. Instead, they just double-down on their grievance creation blame-shifting strategy and eked out a win they didn't deserve.<br /><br />But now they WILL see how the game is played as they have no cover. They will take the blame for everything that goes wrong, and with their program a lot will go wrong and there will be a lot of grievances generated. And when gas goes back to $4 (since that's what Russia wants) and unemployment rises to 7% (since that's what GOP donors want) expect the pendulum to swing back hard.<br /><br />If I'm leading the Ds, I tell them to sit tight, blame the GOP for everything, obstruct as much as possible highlighting all the negatives their opposition are setting loose, and let nature take its course.Dangerousnoreply@blogger.com