So, I love to have intense political discussions with my office mate, who is a self-described
"moderate" and can't understand conservative politics. Of course I tell him I define moderate as a liberal who's too wussy to say so, but I digress.
When we begin discussing the 2012 GOP field, he expresses his dismay that many of them have {gasp} strong opinions on topics, particularly conservative opinions. That got me thinking about how all the "pundits" and talking heads are saying the Bachmann is whacko or Perry is looney and it reminds me of 1980. The chatteratzi tried to portray Ronald Reagan as a whacko or loon or just crazy old coot that would get us in a nuclear war with the Rooosians.
But a strange thing happened...the economy tanked, Reagan turned out to be not so scary and he went on to win two elections in landslides. Could history repeat itself? Well that's a good question, and it really depends on if the GOP wants to have an honest conversation with Americans and not treat them as amiable dunces like the Obamazombies usually do.
Here's what I mean:
1. Does anyone honestly think Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid are JUST FINE and don't need major overhaul? Now, I'm not talking about throwing Grandma off the cliff, although that's usually what the Demagugeocrats do, but seriously, does anyone think that Americans, including Grandma, will continue to get those monthly checks in another 10 years? NOT a chance. Rick Perry at least had the guts to call Social Security what it is A PONZI SCHEME. Only the most die hard New Deal Democrat actually believes there is a Social Security Trust Fund...cause brother, the Easter Bunny done made off with it had he and Santa Claus are livin' it up in Tijuana. Major changes need to be made...and they will be wildly unpopular and really piss people off...but the alternative is worse....means testing, tax increases, raises in the eligibility and retirement ages...all will need to happen, and they will likely piss off every constituent group.
2. Someone in the GOP needs to pledge that their first act in office will be to officially call for the repeal of Obamacare. This disaster is going to not only wreck our economy and vastly increase the welfare state, but it was bad legislation that was rammed down our throats. I would bet unemployment would drop 2 points just by removing this weight on businesses and government spending.
3. Secondly, the GOP needs to pledge to roll back everyone of Obama's job killing environmental regulations, especially the moratorium on drilling in the Gulf of Mexico. Again, the envirowhackos will scream about dirty air and dirty water, but really, does anyone think that will happen? There are plenty of environmental regulations that do not have the taint of Obama politics and desire to destroy the oil and gas industry. Use the old Reagan tactic...:"Do you like paying $4 a gallon for gas when it was less than $2 when Obama took office? Why do you think gas prices have doubled when consumption hasn't?"
4. Finally, the GOP needs to hammer everyday from now to election day that GOVERNMENT does not create jobs or wealth. Every dollar the government spends is either taxed or created out of thin air by the Federal Reserve. ONLY private sector jobs and a lot of them will reduce our deficit, end our housing crisis and restore American confidence, not STIMULUS, QUANTITATIVE EASING or GREEN JOBS (green being the color of taxpayer dollars). The entire edifice of Keynesian economics and the New Deal, along with the Great Society needs to be shown for what it is..a FAILURE who's time has come, as Ronald Reagan says to consign it to the trash heap of history.
So, that's my rant for the day....
More history later....
"moderate" and can't understand conservative politics. Of course I tell him I define moderate as a liberal who's too wussy to say so, but I digress.
When we begin discussing the 2012 GOP field, he expresses his dismay that many of them have {gasp} strong opinions on topics, particularly conservative opinions. That got me thinking about how all the "pundits" and talking heads are saying the Bachmann is whacko or Perry is looney and it reminds me of 1980. The chatteratzi tried to portray Ronald Reagan as a whacko or loon or just crazy old coot that would get us in a nuclear war with the Rooosians.
But a strange thing happened...the economy tanked, Reagan turned out to be not so scary and he went on to win two elections in landslides. Could history repeat itself? Well that's a good question, and it really depends on if the GOP wants to have an honest conversation with Americans and not treat them as amiable dunces like the Obamazombies usually do.
Here's what I mean:
1. Does anyone honestly think Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid are JUST FINE and don't need major overhaul? Now, I'm not talking about throwing Grandma off the cliff, although that's usually what the Demagugeocrats do, but seriously, does anyone think that Americans, including Grandma, will continue to get those monthly checks in another 10 years? NOT a chance. Rick Perry at least had the guts to call Social Security what it is A PONZI SCHEME. Only the most die hard New Deal Democrat actually believes there is a Social Security Trust Fund...cause brother, the Easter Bunny done made off with it had he and Santa Claus are livin' it up in Tijuana. Major changes need to be made...and they will be wildly unpopular and really piss people off...but the alternative is worse....means testing, tax increases, raises in the eligibility and retirement ages...all will need to happen, and they will likely piss off every constituent group.
2. Someone in the GOP needs to pledge that their first act in office will be to officially call for the repeal of Obamacare. This disaster is going to not only wreck our economy and vastly increase the welfare state, but it was bad legislation that was rammed down our throats. I would bet unemployment would drop 2 points just by removing this weight on businesses and government spending.
3. Secondly, the GOP needs to pledge to roll back everyone of Obama's job killing environmental regulations, especially the moratorium on drilling in the Gulf of Mexico. Again, the envirowhackos will scream about dirty air and dirty water, but really, does anyone think that will happen? There are plenty of environmental regulations that do not have the taint of Obama politics and desire to destroy the oil and gas industry. Use the old Reagan tactic...:"Do you like paying $4 a gallon for gas when it was less than $2 when Obama took office? Why do you think gas prices have doubled when consumption hasn't?"
4. Finally, the GOP needs to hammer everyday from now to election day that GOVERNMENT does not create jobs or wealth. Every dollar the government spends is either taxed or created out of thin air by the Federal Reserve. ONLY private sector jobs and a lot of them will reduce our deficit, end our housing crisis and restore American confidence, not STIMULUS, QUANTITATIVE EASING or GREEN JOBS (green being the color of taxpayer dollars). The entire edifice of Keynesian economics and the New Deal, along with the Great Society needs to be shown for what it is..a FAILURE who's time has come, as Ronald Reagan says to consign it to the trash heap of history.
So, that's my rant for the day....
More history later....
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