Obama offers a package that is 80-90% cuts, and 10-20% revenue increases all of which are the elimination of subsidies and tax breaks, and will cut trillions. A package that, if offered a year ago by a Republican would have been called a hugely conservative one. And the GOP reject it all saying that Obama is “Obsessed with Raising Taxes.” Meanwhile, half the GOP politicians are signing pledges to NEVER approve anything that raises taxes by a penny, or provided funding for Planned Parenthood, or &c. Perhaps in some districts that is exactly what (the majority of) their constituents want. Of course, the difficulty of representative government is represented right there. Do we elect people to simple obey our orders? Then wouldn’t it be better to conduct government by referenda? Direct democracy? Or do we elect people expecting them to have actual ability, trusting that they share our values but who will do what is necessary to actually govern, even when that means doing things that seem incomprehensible or wrong to us? The spectacle of a politician swearing an oath to NEVER do this, or ALWAYS do that, no matter what complex realities they are faced with, is depressing to me. Imagine if all the members of the present congress took such pledges, the Dems to NEVER reduce benefits or cut programs for education or for the aid of the unfortunate, and the GOPs to NEVER increase revenues or cut defense spending. They might as well all pack their bags and go home and blame the other side until the next election, and the consequences to the country be damned. Jon Huntsman is the only Republican presidential contender who actual has the guts to remain his own man, and not put his judgment into a blind trust in the hands of others. And I for one have no interest in voting for someone who thinks it a good thing to go into office with his hands tied behind his back or wearing a blindfold.
Obama offers a package that is 80-90% cuts, and 10-20% revenue increases all of which are the elimination of subsidies and tax breaks, and will cut trillions. A package that, if offered a year ago by a Republican would have been called a hugely conservative one. And the GOP reject it all saying that Obama is “Obsessed with Raising Taxes.” Meanwhile, half the GOP politicians are signing pledges to NEVER approve anything that raises taxes by a penny, or provided funding for Planned Parenthood, or &c. Perhaps in some districts that is exactly what (the majority of) their constituents want. Of course, the difficulty of representative government is represented right there. Do we elect people to simple obey our orders? Then wouldn’t it be better to conduct government by referenda? Direct democracy? Or do we elect people expecting them to have actual ability, trusting that they share our values but who will do what is necessary to actually govern, even when that means doing things that seem incomprehensible or wrong to us? The spectacle of a politician swearing an oath to NEVER do this, or ALWAYS do that, no matter what complex realities they are faced with, is depressing to me. Imagine if all the members of the present congress took such pledges, the Dems to NEVER reduce benefits or cut programs for education or for the aid of the unfortunate, and the GOPs to NEVER increase revenues or cut defense spending. They might as well all pack their bags and go home and blame the other side until the next election, and the consequences to the country be damned. Jon Huntsman is the only Republican presidential contender who actual has the guts to remain his own man, and not put his judgment into a blind trust in the hands of others. And I for one have no interest in voting for someone who thinks it a good thing to go into office with his hands tied behind his back or wearing a blindfold.