I didn’t ignore it, it just shows that Trump and his GOP brethren are part of the same self-serving elite that has been getting what it wants from elected officials for decades. But, to my post earlier re: fiscal discipline, neither party is committed to balancing a budget, but the GOP actively works against it. Why would anyone sign up for that?
I don’t have an angle, but a few things - first, I don’t love conservatism as it purports to be an ideology because…I’m not convinced it exists. It once claimed to be an extension of Classical Liberalism, but it turns out it is just a soft-headed, easily manipulated way of thinking that finds its roots in reactionaryism, not liberty. It’s scared of everything and is easily hijacked by demagogues.
The same is true of modern Leftism too - but that doesn’t help anyone.
But more to the point, wanting fiscal discipline in government really isn’t liberal or conservative in any ideological sense - it’s simply prudent.
They way they area structured now maybe. Assuming you mean personal income taxes. Dropping the corporate rate to match rates across the pond was definitely an economic move.
However I also think that economies of scale don’t work the same way for your 5 person business as for your 25-100+ corporate business. For all intents and purposes, they’re not playing the same game, and I’m not 100% sure that metrics designed to measure the big dogs are the best for measuring impact for local and truly small businesses.
In general, really small businesses don’t work on the same PPE decision constructs that bigger businesses do. For instance, I have a friend that owns his own landscaping business. He has 2 employees. He doesn’t base capex purchases on tax rate, he bases it on whether his work truck died and he can’t get to work to put in that patio he is contracted for, and therefore won’t be able to stay in business.
Giving businesses like them more money back is pretty much always a good thing, because the “war chest” is never ever close to full. Ever.
This sounds like a carbon copy of one of my best friends, down to owning a landscaping business!
Yep…his concerns boil down to everyday issues…will at least one of his two trunks run…will his guys show up the next day for a job…and one that really pisses me off…the people who stiff him simply because he doesn’t always push for a percentage down before he starts a job (which I’ve been pressing him to do)…
It’s pretty clear that neither Party gives two-shits about fiscal responsibility/spending.
Conservatives used to at least give it some lip service…but as has been clearly pointed out by Trump…it will all be somebody else’s problem after he is long gone…
Yeah but I don’t think they have ever had a record for actually doing anything about it. Regan tripled the debt himself and every Republican since him hasn’t really tried. Well give HW credit but they ran him out of town.
It’s one thing to separate oneself from a dizzying field of 20-plus wanna-be’s; with each seeming to want to out “anybody-but-Trump” the other…and it’s going to be something quite different running against The Beast himself, and the Army of Conservative PACS, Money and Media…
As I have said before…one may not like Trump or his beliefs…and I personally think that he is the worst person to ever hold the office…but he is very clear on what those beliefs are.
I listen (with difficulty) to the DEMS…and it’s like listening to a bunch of 7th Grade debaters giving their take on World Peace.
And in regards to the two front runners, Biden and Sanders. I think Biden is the safer pick over the scary socialist. At least for the boomers. I think Gen Z will always vote socialism.
I would say he is the Dems best shot. He can run center left. Sure he may tack left to win the nomination but that’s common for both sides to run farther and then “correct” for the election.
If the economy is red hot I don’t think it matters who the Dems run he will be very tough to defeat. He’s incredibly vulnerable for how good it’s been though. Average Republican is probably polling 15 points higher than him in the same conditions and he can’t even hit 45% approval.
Trumps going to have quite the war chest before it begins. If the Dem race is drawn out the advantage could be massive.
Honestly I would not be shocked if Trump throws out big money plans. He pushes massive infrastructure spending. Pushes giant healthcare spending. He would be unbeatable. Republicans won’t call him out for it in any type of numbers and Dems will smile to support them.
I have no idea who he would lose. His base? Going nowhere. Evangelicals? They don’t give a shit what he does. Conservatives? Do they exist? He doesn’t care about the debt and has said so. He would way rather win 2020 than worry about something like that.
One pundit stated that in fact…Trump in many ways is “Out-DEM’ing the DEMS” with his massive spending proposals…
Hey…we said it before 1) he never was, and never will be a “Conservative” and 2) as @H_factor said…his base and those calling themselves Conservatives don’t give a shit what he does, as long as he continues to give a big crotch-grab to Liberals.
Wage stagnation and the death of manufacturing. This in turn means that the industries where the unions are present and subsequently the profile of union members changed drastically - in place of your hard hat wearing blue collar workers you’ve got teachers and public employees.
No wonder that the political leanings of a “typical union member” changed so much.
A paradigm shift in the truest sense then, @loppar?
Your post immediately reminded me of Textile Manufacturers…which were centered mostly in the Conservative South. I would tend to believe that they are a fraction of what they were during the 20th Century (as well as their better known Brothers and Sisters, the Steel Workers).