Here is an alternate path:
2 Likes
Probably belongs in the LOL Dems thread but imagine how dumb you have to be to think that passing a bunch of popular shit would cost you an election.
https://twitter.com/JakeSherman/status/1415659236546289668?s=20
1 Like
I know that when families in my community are faced with rising inflation, their first reaction is to think OH NO THE FEDERAL DEFICIT!!!
3 Likes
What kind of fucking argument is that? âWe donât want to pass popular legislation because we want to keep the House blue so that in the future we can⌠pass popular legislationâ? Like, what the fuck are you going to do with this hypothetical future blue House?? You have a blue House now and still arenât doing anything!
Ah wait, by âkeeping the House blueâ they meant âkeeping our cushy jobs while not doing anything,â got it.
20 Likes
Itâs all the brain disease of comparing balancing your check book and the federal budget.
3 Likes
I think weâve learned time and again that a hot economy bringing in taxes is the only thing that reduces deficits/debt.
A huge fraction of this money is actually going to circulate in the regular economy. The 2017 tax cut was largely put into trusts for the perpetuity of demon spawn.
1 Like
On a global level there are actually lots of interesting ways to deal with high government debt. These may not be directly relevant but some stuff:
A) Governments do default on debt sometimes. Seems inconceivable that the US could/would, but as the empire collapses an unchecked idiot like Donnie Dumb Dumb might try. Bankruptcy worked for him every other time.
B) Runaway inflation is a fun way to eliminate the real value of outstanding nominal debt. Its catastrophic for the country but, again, the US is on track for unchecked idiocracy.
C) Less crazy, but there have been cases where governments have done a mix of careful tax cuts and spending cuts. But the US isnât functional enough to pull this off.
D) Under a socialist revolution, a government can nationalize a resource industry and sell off the assets, with proceeds used to pay off debt. I think the Saudis did this once with oil.
Dems are afraid of another Obamacare costing them elections.
They shouldnât. ACA has had a net positive popularity for years now. And unfavorable opinions of Obamacare are trending down.
Should Dems pass something that is good if it results in 2010 all over again election-wise?
Yes. The point of political power is to use it, not to keep it.
3 Likes
Thereâs a reasonable argument that 2022 and 2024 are key elections for the preservation of democracy in the United States and that anything that makes it harder for Democrats to win is bad.
Dems won massively in 2018 campaigning on Obamacare.
1 Like
Counterpoint - with voter suppression ramping up this may be their last shot in a long time to get anything done. Its also only speculation (and dubious reasoning) that the way to win the next election is to not help people. They could pass nothing and still lose.
Youâre right, theyâre always surrendering the last war.
2 Likes
The way to win the election is to pass things that have tangible benefits before the next election. Passing something that helps, but only after the election, might be worse than doing nothing because it takes away the argument that Republicans are blocking everything.
1 Like
Are you sitting down?
The bipartisan bill is now in trouble, nominally over increased IRS funding (lol). I assume GOP losers want it out so they can stall some more yammering about the cost or something. Lol engaging with these assholes and running even more clock.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/us-policy/2021/07/15/senate-infrastructure-budget/
2 Likes
These are fair points but I just canât see it working as an election strategy. I think playing the blame game about who blocked good legislation wonât work. Dems will day Rs blocked legislation that could help people, Rs will say thatâs not true they did no such thing, and Joe Voter will think âI dont know who to believe but I know Biden didnât do shit for meâ.
I agree that you need to be able to point to tangible change before the next election. Just attach $100 stimulus payments to every bill and youâre good.
Not increasing funding for the IRS is like refusing a coin toss bet when the other side is offering 10:1.