George Will leaving the GOP

[UTChE96]

I would definitely agree that the GOP is more fiscally conservative than the Democrats. Not saying much. The debt/GDP ratio has increased every single year since W took over even while the GOP had both houses of Congress. Slight spending cuts at this point are not going to cut it. We are heading for a debt cliff. The Dems want to head towards the cliff at 100 mph while the GOP want to go at 80 mph. I understand that there are checks and balances, but I rarely even hear any GOP politician discussing why the debt is important and what will happen if we do not balance the budget in the short-term. At least try to educate the voter base so they understand the importance of this critical issue. The average voter is completely ignorant of the consequences, and I must assume that the GOP don't mind that so much. The latest Omnibus spending bill cemented that assumption. It was pretty clear that they were more worried about their special interest groups than addressing the debt crisis.

So yes, the GOP are more fiscally conservative than the Dems but that doesn't make them a fiscally conservative party.

 

[Seattle Husker]

Bringing this back to George Will. I think he'd probably agree with UTChE96 and is leaving the party because it's lost it's way and is now being led by a charlatan. The response instead of saying "yeah, he's right" is to diss him and double down on Trump support who in none of his business dealings has ever demonstrated fiscal conservatism but rather just the opposite.

 

[UTChE96]

Bringing this back to George Will. I think he'd probably agree with UTChE96 and is leaving the party because it's lost it's way and is now being led by a charlatan. The response instead of saying "yeah, he's right" is to diss him and double down on Trump support who in none of his business dealings has ever demonstrated fiscal conservatism but rather just the opposite.

The ironic thing is that the GOP could have chosen a nominee that was the most responsible for the last time we had a balanced budget. That was back when the GOP was a fiscally conservative party. Unfortunately, most voters have short memories.

 

[Seattle Husker]

The ironic thing is that the GOP could have chosen a nominee that was the most responsible for the last time we had a balanced budget. That was back when the GOP was a fiscally conservative party. Unfortunately, most voters have short memories.

Not that most on this board care but they would have gotten my vote for that candidate.

 

[NJlonghorn]

Not that most on this board care but they would have gotten my vote for that candidate.

Mine too -- and on this board, Husker and I are the closest thing to a liberal not named Crocket.

 

[Mr. Deez]

The debt/GDP ratio has increased every single year since W took over even while the GOP had both houses of Congress.

The Bush-era Congress was indefensible when it came to fiscal management for several reasons that we'd likely agree on. However, that was a different leadership team. Tom Delay basically ran the House back then while Dennis Hastert was busy bribing people to keep quiet about the fact that he liked having sex with teenaged boys. John Boehner had been removed from the leadership after the 1998 election, and Paul Ryan was a nobody. It's not fair to judge the current leadership for the acts of Tom Delay any more than it would be fair to judge Nancy Pelosi for what Jim Wright did.

Also, it's not particularly fair to judge a Congress for debt to GDP ratio because they don't control the GDP or the debt that was incurred before they took office. We can judge them on tax and spending levels.

The ironic thing is that the GOP could have chosen a nominee that was the most responsible for the last time we had a balanced budget. That was back when the GOP was a fiscally conservative party.

I'm a huge Kasich fan, but he'd didn't balance the budget by cutting spending. He balanced it by slowing the growth in spending and letting it fall into balance. It was good policy, but real spending cuts deserve more props from conservatives and are politically harder to enact, especially with a more liberal President who's tougher to work with.

 

[Crockett]

I am exceptionally liberal on this board because of fierce attacks launched against everybody more liberal than me caused them to stop posting. I voted for Kasich in the Republican primary. I'll admit that I prefer Hillary to Cruz, Trump, Carson or Fiorina.

 

[UTChE96]

Also, it's not particularly fair to judge a Congress for debt to GDP ratio because they don't control the GDP or the debt that was incurred before they took office. We can judge them on tax and spending levels.

It is fair to judge them on the trend especially over the course of several years. W and a GOP congress inherited a downward trend in Debt/GDP ratio (from a Democratic POTUS no less) and reversed it. Not a single year under W did it go down. That is beyond inexcusable, and I am very tired of hearing the excuses. Not to mention that the GDP actually had several years of decent growth under W before the financial crisis.

It was good policy, but real spending cuts deserve more props from conservatives and are politically harder to enact, especially with a more liberal President who's tougher to work with.

I am curious to hear your opinion on the recent Omnibus bill that was praised by Pelosi, Reid, and Obama. Was that really the best that the GOP could negotiate for? I just cannot imagine how any fiscal conservative could have agreed to that abortion of a bill.

 

[I35]

So Deez, the standard was set horribly by the congress starting in 2006 through 2010. Are we suppose to use that standard to show improvement currently by the GOP congress? I think the GOP lead congress allowed the current President to bully them around way too much. The mid term election that gave the GOP the House and Senate sent a message to them to stop Obama at all cost because they didn't like the direction we were going. In that regards we the people wanted a U Turn and not a slight turn of a few degrees.

 

[I35]

I am exceptionally liberal on this board because of fierce attacks launched against everybody more liberal than me caused them to stop posting. I voted for Kasich in the Republican primary. I'll admit that I prefer Hillary to Cruz, Trump, Carson or Fiorina.

Speaking of Liberal. What ever happened to Roger 35?

 

[Mr. Deez]

It is fair to judge them on the trend especially over the course of several years. W and a GOP congress inherited a downward trend in Debt/GDP ratio (from a Democratic POTUS no less) and reversed it. Not a single year under W did it go down. That is beyond inexcusable, and I am very tired of hearing the excuses. Not to mention that the GDP actually had several years of decent growth under W before the financial crisis.



I am curious to hear your opinion on the recent Omnibus bill that was praised by Pelosi, Reid, and Obama. Was that really the best that the GOP could negotiate for? I just cannot imagine how any fiscal conservative could have agreed to that abortion of a bill.

@UTChE96,

I'm in the Ore Mountains (Czech Republic) with no internet service and very spoty data (and it's roaming), so I may have wait until I get back to respond.

 

[NJlonghorn]

Speaking of Liberal. What ever happened to Roger 35?

He's still here, posting under his true name, theiioftx.

 

[UTChE96]

I think theiioftx is Roger not Roger35. Or are you guys just messing with him.

 

[Mr. Deez]

In all seriousness, I think Eye is his own man.

 

[Mr. Deez]

It is fair to judge them on the trend especially over the course of several years. W and a GOP congress inherited a downward trend in Debt/GDP ratio (from a Democratic POTUS no less) and reversed it. Not a single year under W did it go down. That is beyond inexcusable, and I am very tired of hearing the excuses. Not to mention that the GDP actually had several years of decent growth under W before the financial crisis.

Ok, I crossed back into Germany for a little bit. As I mentioned, the fiscal management under Bush was terrible. Or difference is that you're faulting the current leadership for that when they had very, very little to do with it. If you're pissed at somebody, be pissed at Tom Delay and George Bush. They were the bad apples.

I am curious to hear your opinion on the recent Omnibus bill that was praised by Pelosi, Reid, and Obama. Was that really the best that the GOP could negotiate for? I just cannot imagine how any fiscal conservative could have agreed to that abortion of a bill.

It wasn't what I would have done, but considering that it only brought us up to spending levels from 4 or 5 years ago, I think calling it an abortion is a bit of an overreaction. When you have to make a deal with a liberal Democrat in the White House, it's about as good as it gets.

 

[Mr. Deez]

So Deez, the standard was set horribly by the congress starting in 2006 through 2010. Are we suppose to use that standard to show improvement currently by the GOP congress? I think the GOP lead congress allowed the current President to bully them around way too much. The mid term election that gave the GOP the House and Senate sent a message to them to stop Obama at all cost because they didn't like the direction we were going. In that regards we the people wanted a U Turn and not a slight turn of a few degrees.

If you want a u turn, then you need to elect a President who supports making a u turn. Neither Hillary nor Trump support that or even getting near that.