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StrangerThan -> RE: Can a Conservative Explain this? - Dick Cheney (8/31/2011 7:02:02 AM)
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quote:
ORIGINAL: DomYngBlk
Different tastes again. But I would have thought he'd have taken a cue from Bush and written something of the same vein. He would have still cashed in. Just imagining next year. you are the republican nominee, are you going try and have them both say something at the convention?
I haven't read either book. Not sure I will. When you say have them both say something at the convention, I'm assuming you mean Cheney and Powell?
Regardless of what side you're on, the Bush administration is toxic in politics. He was polarizing for a lot of reasons. Dems like to forget that a lot of fiscal conservatives didn't care much for Bush either. But by far, I think the thing that galvanized liberals was the bully on the playground approach to dealing with other countries. Putting anyone on the stand from that administration at the convention isn't.. smart right now. At least I don't think so. The party faithful won't mind I'm sure, but the neither party's faithful are the people who elect presidents. Independents are, and they as a group migrated away from Bush.
The GOP has several issues to address and needs to clarify a message that speaks to those independents if they want to win the next election. One is taxes. They are nailing themselves into a corner by proposing cuts to medicare while refusing to address more revenue. Stories like the one running on yahoo this morning about CEO compensation for... I think it was a quarter of the top 100 companies exceeding the tax that company paid, are helping nail them in that corner too. That is an area they have to address if they want independent voters on board.
The bottom line though is the big three of defense, social security, and medicare also have to be addressed if we're going to get spending under control. I, like many, can understand shared sacrifice. The point that's being foisted upon the GOP, and rightly so in some cases, is that the sacrifice isn't being shared.
Dems want more stimulus. That fact was predicted the instant the first stimulus came around by many economists, and is a non-starter politically right now. Those pushing for it will find themselves nailed into an equally tight corner. There's plenty of blame to go around for being in the deficit situation we're in. Bush did his part. Obama has done his part. A lot of folks swoon over Clinton and point to the deficit then. What most of them conveniently forget is that a good bit of the legislation that castrated the country in terms of manufacturing, jobs, and the loosening of credit occurred during his administration.
We're in a fucked up situation and there are no easy answers. Obama has been "focused on jobs" for almost a year now and finally is going to announce a plan. I'm sure it's going to be a good bit of the rehash of the same tired bs that we've heard before. Why? Because he doesn't have many options. The credit rating issue is one that can significantly impact interest rates across the board. They're telling us as a country to get our fiscal house in order.
Look around the world at countries trying to do that very thing. It ain't pretty.
For us, actually dealing with it is mostly an attempt to push the ain't pretty part off to the future where maybe the other party will get the blame.
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