If you have not seen the folly in electing economic conservatives to office, look no further than the administration of George W. Bush. Despite what Republicans told us, spending billions of dollars on neo-conservative foreign policy misadventures while handing out massive tax cuts to billionaires and cutting New Deal programs has not kept our country out of a recession. Regardless of whether we are talking about Republicans or just conservatives, people on the right generally have no idea how to handle the economy. Now the Republican Party has outdone itself. They did not just nominate another advocate of wasting money in Iraq and tax cuts for billionaires - this time, they nominated a guy who admits he does not think about the economy or consider it his strength, leading Americans who do think about it to believe that John McCain simply does not have the faintest idea about what he wants to do for the economy.
McCain's bid for the presidency has been dominated by the traditional strategy of the GOP. Bush-McCain-style Republicans generally follow a few very simple rules when it comes to election strategy. They speak about the need to win a war that the country is involved in, even though their definition of victory changes every day to accommodate their own failures in handling that war.
This type of politician avoids his weakness on the economy by having military issues overshadow it. More importantly, when someone questions the necessity of that war or the Bush-McCain Republicans' handling of it, that person is labeled "un-American" or an "enabler" of the enemy.
That strategy has worked surprisingly well in the past, most recently allowing the Republicans to strengthen their control of Congress in 2002 and 2004, and keep Bush in the White House for a second term. Despite every Republican's inherent inferiority on economic issues, they have used the Bush-McCain strategy in order to take over all three branches of government in the past; it took Democrats until 2006 to get one of them back.
When contrasting the presumptive Republican nominee with the presumptive Democratic nominee Barack Obama, we can tell that one man's ignorance of how the economy works will help the campaign of the other. One candidate will allow the failed strategies of the Bush administration to continue and another will likely bring them to an end.
If elected, McCain, in his reckless ignorance of what is good for the economy, will undoubtedly continue to authorize billions of dollars to be spent in Iraq and will continue to allow the tax burden to fall on middle and working class Americans by approving more tax cuts for the rich. If elected, Obama will end the disastrous war in Iraq and stop other neo-conservative foreign policy misadventures before they start, while lifting the tax burden from the shoulders of working Americans.
Brian Murphy can be reached at murphy.718@osu.edu
Viewing Comments 1 - 8 of 9
Bryan
posted 5/12/08 @ 11:05 AM EST
One day, you'll get a real job, and make an actual salary. And you'll realize that tax cuts are very much appreciated.
Under the Clinton tax system, I would've been taxed at 28%. (Continued…)
KB
posted 5/12/08 @ 12:37 PM EST
Don't forget Barack Obama's lack of comprehension regarding capital gains. He seems to think that by raising capital gains taxes, you increase revenue to the government. (Continued…)
ezra brooks
posted 5/12/08 @ 1:19 PM EST
First of all, I could swear that this article has already been printed. What kind of shape is the Lantern in if it has to recycle articles?
And if you are going to recycle articles, don't recycle this trash. (Continued…)
grad student
posted 5/12/08 @ 2:57 PM EST
First, simply writing Bush-McCain (like all propagandist sheep) doesn't make the two men the same. Of course, making broad generalizations about someone without any facts or evidence is typical leftist crap. (Continued…)
MS
posted 5/12/08 @ 3:07 PM EST
Just because this is an opinion article doesn't mean it can be devoid of facts and make false blanket statements. This piece is in no way journalism. (Continued…)
JPE
posted 5/12/08 @ 4:02 PM EST
Calling George Bush an economic conservative is like calling Ohio State a football powerhouse...it just aint true. For real economic conservatism, Ron Paul is the man. (Continued…)
coxryanb
Ryan
posted 5/13/08 @ 10:52 AM EST
Brian, I am middle class and I can tell you for a fact that I have paid less taxes under Bush than any democrat before. Also when the richest 10% pay 70% of the taxes, yes the rich will get the biggest tax breaks when one is given--simple math, but you prefer a socialist goverment where the government takes care of your every waking need. (Continued…)
Andrew
posted 5/14/08 @ 9:27 PM EST
Do you even know what an economic conservative is? How does this crap even get published?
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