Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney delivers a speech ahead of the State of the Union presidential address at National Gypsum Company in Tampa, Florida, January 24, 2012.
(Getty)
When Mitt Romney selected Paul Ryan as his running mate, he inevitably brought along Ryan's budget plan, too. It's a plan that restructures Medicare and Social Security, while at the same time lowering taxes across the board. In short, it dramatically downsizes the role of government in America.
But does austerity ever work as a campaign slogan? Walter Mondale tried to get serious about the federal deficit in 1984. "Mr. Reagan will raise taxes," he said at the 1984 Democratic National Convention, "and so will I. He won't tell you. I just did."
Mondale lost in one of the biggest landslides in history. Presidential historian Doug Wead says plenty of presidents have appealed to the cheaper angels of our nature… but have rarely done so in campaigns.
President Obama Seeks to Narrow 'War on Terror,' A Closer Look at the IRS Inquiry, Boy Scouts to Allow Gay Members
The DSM and Mental Health in America
Defining Normal After a Diagnosis of Schizophrenia, The Mayor of Oklahoma City, A New Kind of Commencement Speech
Lessons From a Female Union Electrician
Diplomatic Damage Caused by Drone Strikes, In Defense of the DSM-5, Bob Woodruff's Advice for New Grads
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Comments [3]
The Republican push to downsize government, privitize everything, and,hopefully for them, to eliminate entitlement programs is characteristic of the Ryan plan. Their concern about the national debt is a feeble excuse for their desires to achieve this. This is obvious when taxing the wealthy and raising corporate tax rates are out of question fothem. They hope their scare tactics will work. We democrats must fight back hard to deny these scammers their victory. Obama and company must enlighten the vast majority of this country, which is not of wealth, to see what is in their best interest.
I would love to get away from Orwell's 1984 and instead party like it is 1999...
Here is how 1984 (the book) still stands up:"The citizen of Oceania is not allowed to know anything of the tenets of the other two philosphies, but he is taught to execrate them as barbarous outrages upon morality and common sense. Actually, the three philosophies are barely distinguishable."
- George Orwell, 1984, Book 1, Chapter 9
Here is 1999 (the song):But life is just a party,
and parties werent meant 2 last
War is all around us,
my mind says prepare 2 fight
So if I gotta die
Im gonna listen 2 my body tonight
Ronulins and Romulins were my favorite part of the segment...If only Republicans could relax and dress up like Romulins from Star Trek...Damn, if Mitt dressed up like a Romulin I will vote for him,even if it ends up killing me if he wins.
"1984 may be repeating itself" and casually suggesting Medicare will be thrown out?
Medicare for those over 55 is not effected under the Ryan plan but Medicare will be bankrupt under the Obama plan...such as it is.
That reminds us that Paul Ryan has shown more economic leadership than the President. Ryan's budget passed in the House and Obama's budget was thrown out in the House and the Senate. These are some things the media is deliberately ignoring.
The Ryan selection has really unsettled the media and the muddled sophistry, distortions and flailing is obvious. Ryan had to remind the Treasury Secretary that according to the CBO he U.S. economy shuts down in 2027.
Are we supposed to ignore reality and the incompetence of the Obama administration like the media wants us to?
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