Fiscally Conservative

The Repubicans today are constantly referring back to the glory days of Ronald Reagan's presidency and trying to convince Americans that we need to go that route in order to recover from the current economic disaster that started in 2008. What is interesting is how they are going about it. For example, the current Congress, and all of the Republican candidates for president, are insisting that tax cuts are needed. John Boehner believes this so strongly he has led multiple Republican sallies against any action by President Obama to raise taxes. He said repeatedly they will have zero tolerance for any bill that attempts to raise taxes.

Now, let's look at their hero, Ronald Reagan. During Reagan's eight years in office, he raised taxes 11 times. He raised them every year except his first. His advisors recognized that raising taxes, bringing more money in to pay for what the government needed to do, was the only way to cover the government's spending at the time. The money was also used to fuel the recovery options they put in place, such as job creation, military spending, space research, and infrastructure. All things that Obama wants or has tried to do.

In addition, Reagan and Obama both inherited nearly identically high unemployment figures from the previous administration (7.6% and rising). Reagan's ballooned to a high of 10.8% in 24 months before his policies stemmed the tide. Once in place and functioning, his policies reduced it to 9.6% within 30 months of taking office. Compare that with Obama's inherited unemployment ballooning to a high of 10.1% within 10 months, and then his policies reducing it to the same 9.6% rate within 21 months of taking office. It took Reagan an addition 10 months (40 months total from taking office) to get unemployment back to 7.6%. How long will it take Obama? It remains to be seen. But without money to enact his job creation plans, it may take longer.

Basically, today's Republicans are attacking Obama at every chance they get, without offering a plan of their own. Yet, by every measure, Obama is actually following a similar plan and path to their hero, Reagan, with similar success. Obama's plans are more fiscally conservative than he's being given credit for and he has turned around a bad economy faster than Reagan did (so far). Yet the Republicans in office (or that seek the presidency) continue to vilify him at every opportunity.

After looking at some important numbers, it sure looks like we HAVE gone back to the glory days of Reagan and ARE following his economic plans to solve the economic crisis. So why are they continuing to block virtually everything the President sends to them?

It makes me wonder if any Republican today would actually follow Reagan's economic plan if he were President today. My guess is no; Reagan, that bastion of right-wing politics, would likely be considered too Liberal for today's Republican.