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Opinion Voters mad about inflation might be tempted to vote GOP. Think again.

cigaretteman

HR King
May 29, 2001
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By Catherine Rampell
Columnist |
Updated November 1, 2022 at 8:00 a.m. EDT|Published November 1, 2022 at 7:00 a.m. EDT


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Voters are mad about inflation and crime, which have both climbed on Democrats’ watch. Perhaps understandably, Americans appear tempted to try Republican leadership again.
Yet if voters do a little research, they’ll learn they’re still better off with the devil they know than the one they don’t.

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The signs are ominous: A recent CNN story featured an undecided voter in Arizona being aggressively courted by Republicans. “Biden promised many things, but I feel like he hasn’t delivered,” the woman, Maria Melgoza, said through a translator. “And the other party, I don’t know much about it.”

In just a few words, Melgoza summed up the 2022 campaign season: widespread discontent with the Democrats; little familiarity with what the GOP might do differently; a core willingness to believe that whatever Republicans have in store, it has to be better than today’s situation.







This is a very bad assumption.


Anger over current conditions is reasonable. Inflation remains painfully high, and Democrats played down its consequences for far too long. Democrats have been slow to deploy what few tools they have available to modestly reduce price pressures (e.g., tariff repeal; waiving restrictions that limit which ships can transport oil and other products; fixing backlogs in the legal immigration system, which contribute to worker shortages).
Instead, Democrats are preoccupied with strategies that will not lower prices: demagoguing about “corporate greed” (an apparent effort to shame companies into more altruistic pricing); demanding price controls; or haranguing the Federal Reserve for raising interest rates.

Likewise, Democrats have been too dismissive of concerns about crime, blaming the media for stoking citizens’ fears.


The main drivers of these problems, however, are largely beyond the control of the president or federal lawmakers. As I have long argued, presidents get too much credit when the economy is good and too much blame when it’s bad. Yes, Democrats could have made last year’s vaunted American Rescue Plan smaller, which would have led to lower demand and slightly less-bad inflation.
Even so, inflation would still likely be high by historical standards. It is at multi-decade highs in much of the world. The broader macroeconomic and geopolitical forces driving, say, gas prices are generally outside the president’s or Congress’s purview.

Likewise with crime, which spiked nationwide at the beginning of the pandemic — in both rural areas and urban ones, and in both red states and blue. Most of the cities with the 10 highest murder rates, or biggest increases in murders this year, are in red or purple states. New York City gets a bad rap, but it is unusually safe compared with both other cities and rural areas in per capita terms.






More to the point for the midterms: Americans might think Democrats’ record is lousy, but the question is — lousy compared to what?
Republicans have no counterproposals for dealing with these problems. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has refused to say what his party would do if it regains control of Congress. National Republican Senatorial Committee head Rick Scott (Fla.) went rogue this winter and released his own agenda, which included sunsetting Medicare and Social Security; it was so unpopular, he walked it back.

No Republican official has revealed any strategy for curbing inflation, aside from scaremongering about socialism and blaming Democrats for “closing” an oil pipeline that had never opened. What little of the GOP economic agenda Republicans have revealed would likely worsen inflation (more tax cuts) and potentially cause a global financial crisis (refusing to raise the debt ceiling).





On crime, Republicans say they will undo Democrats’ decisions to supposedlydefund the police” — but that is not actually a plan because the alleged “defunding” did not happen. Democratic leaders, including President Biden and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (Calif.), have explicitly rejected activists’ calls for defunding the police; in fact, Democratic lawmakers have repeatedly voted to give states and localities more money for law enforcement.
Meanwhile, Republican leaders and right-wing commentators amplify rhetoric and conspiracy theories that seem likely to encourage more political violence.

That is, the ostensible “law and order” party continues to provoke lawlessness.
Somehow, Republicans have made this election an up-or-down vote on Democrats rather than a choice between two parties’ concrete, alternative strategies for governing. But it is foolish to assume, absent evidence, that the GOP will do any better than Democrats have. In fact, the clues available so far suggest things are likely to be much worse.


Why have voters (and many journalists) largely given the GOP a pass? Partly because Republicans benefit from low expectations. Truly, if a Republican politician does the bare minimum — such as acknowledging that the candidate who receives more votes should win the election — they are hailed as a moderate hero. A champion of democracy!
By all means, voters should press Democrats to do better. But throwing the bums out, without properly vetting the potential replacements, carries grave risks Americans have not yet begun to contemplate.

 
Here's what I love. Everything that Biden has gotten passed, Rs have tried taking credit for after voting against. Covid help, federal money, infrastructure, the works.

To be fair, all of this adds to inflation. But, for example, it's pretty shitty of Governor's like Reynolds to blame inflation on Biden while taking some $10 billion in federal money. It's completely dishonest.
 
Here's what I love. Everything that Biden has gotten passed, Rs have tried taking credit for after voting against. Covid help, federal money, infrastructure, the works.

To be fair, all of this adds to inflation. But, for example, it's pretty shitty of Governor's like Reynolds to blame inflation on Biden while taking some $10 billion in federal money. It's completely dishonest.
R’s wanted no part of the inflationary ARP
 
Bullshit. They passed $3 trillion of their own covid bills, promised infrastructure week up until they lost the election, gladly took all these federal funds, and like Reynolds has been doing, brag about their huge surpluses all supplied by these bills.

Total dishonesty by the Rs.
No republicans voted for Covid relief after 3 effective vaccines were available. We should have been BAU early ‘21 but the Covid freaks had found their purpose in life.
 
Bullshit. They passed $3 trillion of their own covid bills, promised infrastructure week up until they lost the election, gladly took all these federal funds, and like Reynolds has been doing, brag about their huge surpluses all supplied by these bills.

Total dishonesty by the
….the D’s controlled the House and voted for the 3 Trillion.

R’s. Didn’t vote for ARP…D’s voted for it unanimously. Unneeded and inflationary.



 
….the D’s controlled the House and voted for the 3 Trillion.

R’s. Didn’t vote for ARP…D’s voted for it unanimously. Unneeded and inflationary.



Where do you think Reynolds got all this discretionary money? From programs like the Dem covid bill and the infrastructure. You can agree with me that it's dishonest to bash this money while also happily taking it, right?
 
Where do you think Reynolds got all this discretionary money? From programs like the Dem covid bill and the infrastructure. You can agree with me that it's dishonest to bash this money while also happily taking it, right?
Every governor should have burned the cash to help out the fed.
 
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Where do you think Reynolds got all this discretionary money? From programs like the Dem covid bill and the infrastructure. You can agree with me that it's dishonest to bash this money while also happily taking it, right?
Hypocritical yes…it’d be irresponsible for a Gov to give away their budget surplus though 😉
 
But yet you will vote for them I'm guessing.

Another example showing the republicans have no plan, no policy proposals to fight inflation or resolve other issues they target. The only thing that matters to them is getting power so they can roll back existing laws and appoint judges who will overturn precedent.
 
But yet you will vote for them I'm guessing.

Another example showing the republicans have no plan, no policy proposals to fight inflation or resolve other issues they target. The only thing that matters to them is getting power so they can roll back existing laws and appoint judges who will overturn precedent.
...or it's an example of both parties being steaming piles of garbage. The only thing that matters to both parties is "getting power".....quit being naive.
 
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...or it's an example of both parties being steaming piles of garbage. The only thing that matters to both parties is "getting power".....quit being naive.
No, that's bullshit. The Democrats have consistently proposed legislation for the betterment of our country. You might disagree with how they want to go about it but the intent is very clear. The republicans are doing absolutely nothing other than obstructing those efforts, lying about voter fraud and promoting fear in their efforts to gain power for their party.

And you're one of the gullibles who falls for it.
 
No, that's bullshit. The Democrats have consistently proposed legislation for the betterment of our country. You might disagree with how they want to go about it but the intent is very clear. The republicans are doing absolutely nothing other than obstructing those efforts, lying about voter fraud and promoting fear in their efforts to gain power for their party.

And you're one of the gullibles who falls for it.
I like R's obstructing their efforts to kill the filibuster, pack the supreme court, pass BBB, voting against the ARP. I didn't agree with student loan relief that Biden bypassed congress to implement.

I don't agree with a lot of the D agenda. They've floated adding DC as a state to get a couple more senate seats....don't agree with that.

Don't agree with getting rid of the electoral college which they've floated.

Don't agree with nationalizing election law....

Split government sounds just fine to me....I don't want the D's to pass their current agenda because I think a lot of it is crap.

On the flip side I certainly don't want R's with total control in 2024 because they suck.

2 party system sucks because both parties currently suck is my take.
 
No, that's bullshit. The Democrats have consistently proposed legislation for the betterment of our country. You might disagree with how they want to go about it but the intent is very clear. The republicans are doing absolutely nothing other than obstructing those efforts, lying about voter fraud and promoting fear in their efforts to gain power for their party.

And you're one of the gullibles who falls for it.
I get a kick out of the fact that the GOP has said over and over again that they want to increase energy supply to bring down the cost of energy and then Dems say, the GOP has no policy to bring down prices.

I call BS on that. The GOP has policies but the Dems just don't like them.

The Inflation Reduction Act is not inflationary as it is paid for.

The Infrastructure Bill is mostly paid for and investment (bridges/roads) spending is not as inflationary as consumption spending like 90% of gov spending.

The Covid Bill is pure inflationary as none of it is paid for. Having said that, I was for the money for vaccines and protective gear but not the $350 Billion to State & Local govs.
 
I like R's obstructing their efforts to kill the filibuster, pack the supreme court, pass BBB, voting against the ARP. I didn't agree with student loan relief that Biden bypassed congress to implement.

I don't agree with a lot of the D agenda. They've floated adding DC as a state to get a couple more senate seats....don't agree with that.

Don't agree with getting rid of the electoral college which they've floated.

Don't agree with nationalizing election law....

Split government sounds just fine to me....I don't want the D's to pass their current agenda because I think a lot of it is crap.

On the flip side I certainly don't want R's with total control in 2024 because they suck.

2 party system sucks because both parties currently suck is my take.
LOL - proving my point, thanks. You've offered NOTHING that the republicans are proposing. At the same time you're echoing the fear mongering that republicans deploy and their lies about the Democratic "agenda".
 
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I like R's obstructing their efforts to kill the filibuster, pack the supreme court, pass BBB, voting against the ARP. I didn't agree with student loan relief that Biden bypassed congress to implement.

I don't agree with a lot of the D agenda. They've floated adding DC as a state to get a couple more senate seats....don't agree with that.

Don't agree with getting rid of the electoral college which they've floated.

Don't agree with nationalizing election law....

Split government sounds just fine to me....I don't want the D's to pass their current agenda because I think a lot of it is crap.

On the flip side I certainly don't want R's with total control in 2024 because they suck.

2 party system sucks because both parties currently suck is my take.
Amen!
 
LOL - proving my point, thanks. You've offered NOTHING that the republicans are proposing. At the same time you're echoing the fear mongering that republicans deploy and their lies about the Democratic "agenda".
Only thing I want from R's is to block the crappy parts of the D agenda. Pretty much that simple.
 
I get a kick out of the fact that the GOP has said over and over again that they want to increase energy supply to bring down the cost of energy and then Dems say, the GOP has no policy to bring down prices.

I call BS on that. The GOP has policies but the Dems just don't like them.

The Inflation Reduction Act is not inflationary as it is paid for.

The Infrastructure Bill is mostly paid for and investment (bridges/roads) spending is not as inflationary as consumption spending like 90% of gov spending.

The Covid Bill is pure inflationary as none of it is paid for. Having said that, I was for the money for vaccines and protective gear but not the $350 Billion to State & Local govs.
What is the republican "policy" to increase energy supply? They will talk about providing more permits but there are already 9000 unused permits. The oil companies are investing in their shareholders, not more production. Short of nationalizing the industry the government has very little influence on that.

Again, complaining about stimulus and then suggesting tax cuts is completely incongruent.
 
LOL - proving my point, thanks. You've offered NOTHING that the republicans are proposing. At the same time you're echoing the fear mongering that republicans deploy and their lies about the Democratic "agenda".
What is so funny, is Dems think if they pay everybody's student loans that this is not inflationary since the loan holders payments go down to zero. What the Dems don't get is to pay off student loans, in this recent proposal, the cost would be over $300 Billion and borrowing $300 Billion and injecting it into the economy is inflationary.

I can't tell if Dems just don't get the Law of Supply and Demand or they know it and are just pandering to their unwashed masses.
 
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What is the republican "policy" to increase energy supply? They will talk about providing more permits but there are already 9000 unused permits. The oil companies are investing in their shareholders, not more production. Short of nationalizing the industry the government has very little influence on that.

Again, complaining about stimulus and then suggesting tax cuts is completely incongruent.
I am not talking about tax cuts at all. I am the biggest balance the budget proponent in this chat room. I am talking about leasing more Federal territory.

I know you are not going to like this but it is a policy.
 
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Here's what I love. Everything that Biden has gotten passed, Rs have tried taking credit for after voting against. Covid help, federal money, infrastructure, the works.

To be fair, all of this adds to inflation. But, for example, it's pretty shitty of Governor's like Reynolds to blame inflation on Biden while taking some $10 billion in federal money. It's completely dishonest.
Who wants credit for that crap? Are you in your own little world? More deficit spending to increase an already soaring inflation and you think Republicans want to take credit?:oops:
 
Who wants credit for that crap? Are you in your own little world? More deficit spending to increase an already soaring inflation and you think Republicans want to take credit?:oops:
A billion threads have been posted of Rs taking credit, abs. Dems passed funding and not only did Rs line up to receive it but they started bragging about securing this money for their constituents.
 
What is so funny, is Dems think if they pay everybody's student loans that this is not inflationary since the loan holders payments go down to zero. What the Dems don't get is to pay off student loans, in this recent proposal, the cost would be over $300 Billion and borrowing $300 Billion and injecting it into the economy is inflationary.

I can't tell if Dems just don't get the Law of Supply and Demand or they know it and are just pandering to their unwashed masses.
Show me where Democrats are touting that as an inflation reduction tactic. It's actually aid to the less privileged which the republicans can't stand. they prefer to give it to farmers instead.

These are the kind of posts that continue to demonstrate how conservatives have lapped up the propaganda they see on Fox and other right wing outlets.
 
I like R's obstructing their efforts to kill the filibuster, pack the supreme court, pass BBB, voting against the ARP. I didn't agree with student loan relief that Biden bypassed congress to implement.

I don't agree with a lot of the D agenda. They've floated adding DC as a state to get a couple more senate seats....don't agree with that.

Don't agree with getting rid of the electoral college which they've floated.

Don't agree with nationalizing election law....

Split government sounds just fine to me....I don't want the D's to pass their current agenda because I think a lot of it is crap.

On the flip side I certainly don't want R's with total control in 2024 because they suck.

2 party system sucks because both parties currently suck is my take.

You get what you deserve.
 
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Ok....you're a D shill so it's understandable you think that way.
Another thing you're wrong about. I've said many times that before Trump I voted for republican Presidential candidates more than Democrats. I've never registered for either party. It's another lame attempt on your part to deflect from the fact that your party provides no policy and their efforts are only around obstruction and party power.
 
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Another thing you're wrong about. I've said many times that before Trump I voted for republican Presidential candidates more than Democrats. I've never registered for either party. It's another lame attempt on your part to deflect from the fact that your party provides no policy and their efforts are only around obstruction and party power.
I'm not registered with either party...thanks.

You're a D shill....just own it.
 
I am not talking about tax cuts at all. I am the biggest balance the budget proponent in this chat room. I am talking about leasing more Federal territory.

I know you are not going to like this but it is a policy.
But you're not running for elected office. Of those republicans that are many are running on cutting taxes while lamenting inflation. And you and your brethren will vote for them.

Balancing the budget isn't a policy, it's a goal. And the republicans have no policy plan to attain that goal - well, other than tax cuts. SMFH.
 
What is the republican "policy" to increase energy supply? They will talk about providing more permits but there are already 9000 unused permits. The oil companies are investing in their shareholders, not more production. Short of nationalizing the industry the government has very little influence on that.

Again, complaining about stimulus and then suggesting tax cuts is completely incongruent.
Sounds like they want to nationalize oil. By golly - that might actually work!
 
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