Politics

GOP is Still the SOP – Same Old Party

Republicans offer nothing new at New Hampshire debate.

I was really hoping someone would step forward last night and offer an actual plan for creating jobs in this country. Instead it was just a seven-headed rhetoric monster. None of them had a solution.

I spent the night in a political pumpkin patch for this, Linus?

 

Cutting taxes was the mantra. But no one explained how cutting taxes would create jobs. When the moderator specifically asked Pawlenty for proof that cutting taxes would create jobs, he dodged the question. When it was pointed out that Bush cut taxes and by the end of his second term we were losing 750, 000 jobs a month, there was again, no answer. But when asked how the former governor would create the 5% annual growth for ten years projected by his economic plan (a growth rate never seen by this country in its entire history, not even after WWII) his answer was, you guessed it, cut taxes.

Many other old standards were trotted out. Unleash regulation on oil, even though domestic oil production has gone up under Obama. Bailing out Chrysler and GM was wrong even though it saved American manufacturing jobs well beyond those two companies. Medicare won’t survive unless it’s changed, but repeal affordable health care because, among other things, it changes Medicare. Social Security is insolvent, even though it’s not. Restore the integrity of our armed forces by making its members lie about their sexuality. God and freedom are the best thing ever, unless you’re a muslim, then you better just watch your ass.

And the best one of all. Ronald Reagan. I worked with Ronald Reagan, I helped pass laws with Ronald Reagan, I delivered pizza to Ronald Reagan. Ronald Reagan signed into law gun controls, abortion rights and funds to fight AIDS. Ronald Reagan created huge deficits and, you guessed it, raised taxes. If he were running today, he wouldn’t even make it past the security guards, let alone find himself on stage with the rest of these posers.

Even though I disagreed with most of what was said last night, the biggest disappointment was having nothing new to disagree with. SOP.

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4 thoughts on “GOP is Still the SOP – Same Old Party

  1. I can’t say I’m very surprised. At this point, no one is interested in discussing actual policy, because real policy discussions require facts, projections and shades-of-grey that no one is interesting on being “on the hook” for.

    Right now, I think candidates are looking for name-face recognition and the perception of “electability” — policy doesn’t come real close to either of these right now.

    As for the broader scope, I think the GOP’s mantra of “cut taxes” is insane. Anyone’s that balanced a checkbook knows that you can’t do so by cutting income.

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  2. BnJ says:

    Just wait — there will be pawlenty you’ll find disagree able if and when tighter contesting starts , especially ifr huntsman and perry get going — woops —–caps don’t seem to stick to some names—- ——–BnJ

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