May 19, 2004
THE FANATIC RIGHT:
A Kerry victory would curtail spending (DOUG BANDOW, 5/20/04, Japan Times)
Republicans control both the White House and Congress, but Washington, D.C. remains a fiscal sinkhole. The best hope for budget probity is to turn over one branch of government to the Democrats.
This is, of course, idiotic. If George Bush loses this election the whole GOP will take a drubbing. If libertarians don't like single party rule by the GOP, just wait'll they see a Democratic government with John Kerry in the White House, Nancy Pelosi in the Speaker's chair and Kerry-mentor Ted Kennedy the de facto leader of the Senate. Posted by Orrin Judd at May 19, 2004 9:06 PM
Kerry Motto:
"In a minute there is time for decisions and revisions which a minute will reverse."
Posted by: Robert Schwartz at May 19, 2004 9:53 PMOoops wrong thread
Posted by: Robert Schwartz at May 19, 2004 9:54 PMA nightmare!
Posted by: genecis at May 19, 2004 9:58 PMThese are the same people who voted for Ross Perot in 1992 because there wasn't a dime's worth of difference between the two political parties.
The inability to learn from the past due to delusions about their own intellectual craftiness in predicting the future is a lifetime curse for some folks...
Posted by: John at May 19, 2004 10:13 PMFirst, NO combination of President, Senate, House will ever curtail spending. Spending always increases.
Second, the media is looking at Washington's (and the states) fiscal position through the rear view mirror. We have had bigger deficits than we expected, we don't care to know why, we will have even more. Professional economists are already starting to predict smaller deficits (cycle), and tighter spending (priorities shit and post election sobering).
Third, only a simplistic view of "gridlock" politics could support the theory the Times espouses. This is simplistic because "gridlock" alone did not create tighetr spending, having a post-Contract with America Republican Congress did. Today's Congress is not nearly as vigilant. Unless we go back to spending little on defense, inteligence, and homeland security, let's face it we are going to have deficts.
Posted by: MG at May 19, 2004 11:35 PM>If libertarians don't like single party rule by
>the GOP, just wait'll they see a Democratic
>government with John Kerry in the White House,
>Nancy Pelosi in the Speaker's chair and Kerry-
>mentor Ted Kennedy the de facto leader of the
>Senate.
For the rule of The Party is forever...
Posted by: Ken at May 20, 2004 12:47 PMBandow's right. The Democrats held all the levers of power between 1992 and 1994. They even had a more charismatic president in Bill Clinton, who hadn't yet been tarred by all the scandals. Save a minor tax increase, they couldn't get any big program through because the GOP found its balls and acted like a conservative party. Something they have distinctly NOT done since January 2001.
If Kerry wins, it's doubtful the Democrats will take the Senate and there's almost no chance of them taking the House. The government will be divided and that will force discipline on it, as happened during the Clinton years. Better, as Kerry has near-zero public appeal, the GOP conservatives will hold a stronger hand than they did during the 90s.
Posted by: Derek Copold at May 20, 2004 1:00 PMAn incumbent president who lost with 5% economic growth would have to take his party down with him. The only way to lose is for conservatives to stay home.
And that's probably what they're going to do. The GOP certainly deserves it.
Posted by: Derek Copold at May 20, 2004 1:25 PMThat's probably what a handful of disaffected grumps are going to do. Meanwhile, despite media reports to the contrary, Bush's base remains solid. Sorry to disappointed, Mr. Copold. They don't share your curmudgeonly view.
Posted by: kevin whited at May 21, 2004 12:37 PMReagan had a Democratic Congress, and they spent like drunken sailors.
Clinton had a Republican Congress, and was projecting budget deficits.
Hyper-strong tax receipts from a roaring economy surprised everyone.