You really have to wonder why President Clinton is not remembered more fondly by these neo-Republicans. Their incessant whining about the federal debt and deficit is nauseating. Clinton actually tried and succeeded in squaring our national checkbook for the first time since 1957.
Watching the debates is depressing precisely because it is obvious that Clinton is not well regarded. The candidates’ hero is Ronald Reagan.
Yes, Reagan. The neoconservative-influenced president who doubled the debt and made Republicans so nervous that he inspired the phrase “voodoo economics.” George H.W. Bush’s label- for increasing government spending, ending financial regulations and cutting taxes for the wealthiest- has endured because time has shown that these were not good long term policies for promoting economic growth. George Bush, as president, was ultimately forced to raise taxes because of the record debt and deficit he inherited from his predecessor. Bush’s fiscal discipline cost him his reelection.
What do the neo-Republicans say about this? Only that Bush betrayed the Party.
Fast forward eight years. In 2000 George W. Bush won the presidency.
The disingenuous discourse at the time- and one that continues today- referred to President Clinton’s fiscal discipline and consequent budget surpluses as a mirage. Nevertheless, W. Bush’s justification for giving people their money back- that’s code for tax breaks for the wealthy- was based on the Clinton mirage. In the end America’s second neoconservative president more than doubled the national debt.
He added $6.1 trillion, bringing the total debt to $11.9 trillion by the end of his second term.
Fast forward three years. On October 16, 2011 candidate Herman Cain appeared on Meet the Press.
At 15:40 into the interview David Gregory asked whether Cain considered himself a neoconservative. The response- “I am not sure what you mean by neoconservative-” should send chills down the spines of Republicans. Of course he knows what a neoconservative is. Cain’s choice to not distance himself from the neocons demonstrates that they have become way too powerful in the Party.
Yes, the former clowns of the Republican Party are now calling the shots. The newfound influence of these neoRepublicans is the only way to explain attaching a Sarah Palin to a serious candidate like John McCain in the last presidential election. Or even why Herman Cain and Rick Perry are polling so strongly in this primary. This country needs Republicans to grow a spine, and soon!
The possibility that Obama will lose his bid for a second term is very real. It is crucial that Republicans take back their Party. We cannot afford another doubling of the debt because of a foolish adherence to unproven politico-economic doctrines. This will only strain the already precarious situation of the working and middle classes, and ultimately make the United States weak.
