The problem with dealing with Obama in good faith is that he never returns the favour. Republicans act like grown-ups and treat him with respect and, in return, he has tantrums and tells outrageous lies.
True, this is standard fare for Democrats, but Obama takes it to a new level by his staggering hypocrisy. For instance:
1. He prattles on about how we need cooperation and mutual respect, but he's the most partisan president in recent memory.
2. He claims that the Republicans' budget ideas will cut money to soldiers while the Biden plan would cut $1 trillion in defense spending.
3. He claims that the Republicans' budget ideas will cut money from seniors and then turns around and says that if the Republicans don't raise the debt limit, he'll withhold cheques to senior citizens. Such a move would be 100% Obama's choice. But rather than cut spending on liberal causes, Obama will cut off seniors. This is how little he (and the Democratic leadership) care about seniors: they're willing to sacrifice them for political advantage.
In light of this, there's no sense attempting to deal with Obama as if he were a responsible, honest adult. Instead, Republicans need to state the truth clearly, simply, and repeatedly. Hammer it home.
For instance, we should be hearing all Repbulicans making the following points every day:
1. Obama and the Democrats passed a $1 trillion stimulus package promising us it would solve the unemployment problem. At the time, all conservatives insisted it would be a failure. We no longer have to guess. It was an unmitigated disaster. They wasted $1 trillion. Conservatives don't have to theorize about whether or not a stimulus package will work. It's been tried. It didn't.
2. Why would we ever agree to another stimulus package (i.e. a spending bonanza for Democrats to throw cash at all their favourite liberal causes) when the mother of all stimulus packages has been such a nightmare?
3. The Democrats are so fiscally inept that even when they controlled both houses of congress and the White House, they were unable to pass a budget.
4. Obama has no plan, other than the standard hard-left plan of spend, spend, spend, tax, tax, tax. He makes vague claims about being willing to explore various options, but talk is cheap. If he were either serious or honest, he would have a written proposal that Americans could examine. But he has no such proposal because he is neither. His plan is spend, spend, spend, tax, tax, tax. But you can't get elected if you're honest about that so he simply claims to have a plan and then whines about every actual proposal the Republicans advance.
5. Obama is playing politics instead of trying to help the country.
Occam's Razor: the principle that entities should not be multiplied more than necessary; the simplest of two competing theories is to be preferred
Friday, July 15, 2011
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Hold your ground
As long as Republicans hold their ground on the current budget debate, they can't lose. Consider the options:
1. Republicans hold their ground, the Democrats refuse to yield, and the U.S. defaults. To be sure, this is a bad scenario for the U.S. But it's hard to see where it hurts the Republicans - as long as they stay on message. Last November, the American people overwhelmingly voted in favour of the Republican plan for the budget. Not only is the Republican base fired up about this, but millions of people who voted for Obama in 2008 voted against his policies in 2010. If Obama refuses to acknowledge their will and plunges the U.S. into a deeper financial crisis, do you think that makes them more or less likely to support him in 2012?
2. Republicans hold their ground and the Democrats cave. Not only would this be a huge political victory for the Republicans (and proof that they already have significant power in Washington - even before thrashing the Democrats in 2012), but the country would be on the road to recovery.
3. Republicans hold their ground and Obama invokes some mangled interpretation of the 14th Amendment in order to unilaterally raise the debt ceiling. This is easily the best outcome (politically) for the Republicans even though it would be horrific for the country. Under this scenario, there is no fall-out for the Republicans at all. When Obama's insane spending binge continues unabated, plunging the country further into financial doom, the Republicans can keep reminding the public that they tried to stop him and it was only Obama's Chicago-style thuggery that allowed him to push America further down the road to ruin. Moreover, Obama will be giving Republicans a huge weapon to use against him: they can keep pointing that, as with Obamacare, Obama's socialist agenda always - ALWAYS - takes precedence over the will of the American people.
The only way Republicans lose is if:
4. Republicans cave to Obama, showing that they are too weak to deal with a tyrant and that they, like Obama, are not concerned with the express will of the American people.
1. Republicans hold their ground, the Democrats refuse to yield, and the U.S. defaults. To be sure, this is a bad scenario for the U.S. But it's hard to see where it hurts the Republicans - as long as they stay on message. Last November, the American people overwhelmingly voted in favour of the Republican plan for the budget. Not only is the Republican base fired up about this, but millions of people who voted for Obama in 2008 voted against his policies in 2010. If Obama refuses to acknowledge their will and plunges the U.S. into a deeper financial crisis, do you think that makes them more or less likely to support him in 2012?
2. Republicans hold their ground and the Democrats cave. Not only would this be a huge political victory for the Republicans (and proof that they already have significant power in Washington - even before thrashing the Democrats in 2012), but the country would be on the road to recovery.
3. Republicans hold their ground and Obama invokes some mangled interpretation of the 14th Amendment in order to unilaterally raise the debt ceiling. This is easily the best outcome (politically) for the Republicans even though it would be horrific for the country. Under this scenario, there is no fall-out for the Republicans at all. When Obama's insane spending binge continues unabated, plunging the country further into financial doom, the Republicans can keep reminding the public that they tried to stop him and it was only Obama's Chicago-style thuggery that allowed him to push America further down the road to ruin. Moreover, Obama will be giving Republicans a huge weapon to use against him: they can keep pointing that, as with Obamacare, Obama's socialist agenda always - ALWAYS - takes precedence over the will of the American people.
The only way Republicans lose is if:
4. Republicans cave to Obama, showing that they are too weak to deal with a tyrant and that they, like Obama, are not concerned with the express will of the American people.
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