NO Republican in 50+ years left a smaller deficit than he inherited. But Obama did.

[Triana]

In 2014, Democrats were INCREDIBLY STUPID to run away from this, and from Obama. They should have run ON it, not away from it!!



RELATED:

October 28, 2014, 07:00 am
A smaller federal deficit, but Democrats won't talk about it
By John Stoehr, contributor

This time last year, focus on the federal deficit grew so intense that the government shut down for 17 costly days. House Republicans, in their belief that the Affordable Care Act (ACA) would balloon the federal deficit, refused to raise the government's borrowing limit until the healthcare law was starved of funding. President Obama refused to concede, saying he would not risk the full faith and credit of the United States, nor endanger the world economy. Obama won that standoff, but could not savor the victory. The Affordable Care Act's launch was so badly ridden with errors that within a month his polling numbers were as bad as the Republican Party's. Everyone was a loser.

Now comes news that the federal deficit is the lowest it has been since Obama took office amid a financial panic rivaled only by the Great Depression. According to an Associated Press report, the government borrowed 40 cents for every dollar spent in 2008. Now it's just 14 cents. The falling deficit, moreover, is directly attributable to Obama's domestic policies, especially the Affordable Care Act, which has slowed to a crawl the once-explosive growth of healthcare spending.

This should be good news for Democrats as we enter the final days of the midterm election season, but it's not. Indeed, nary a word has been spoken of the federal deficit — not from Republicans complaining that the deficit is still too high, and not from Democrats crowing that the president's healthcare law is helping in more ways than one. This is partly due to Republicans and their allies fomenting widespread hysteria about the very scary, but very rare, Ebola virus. It's also partly due to the president's shifting points of focus — from support of vulnerable congressional Democrats in swing states to developments in the Middle East, Ukraine and the U.S.-Mexican border.

But mostly we haven't heard a word about the deficit because the Republicans are so skilled at controlling the terms of debate. If they don't say something is a problem, then it isn't a problem. Their mastery of the narrative is evident in Obama's apparent decision not to broach the subject for fear of inviting a Republican response, as well as in the pains Democrats are taking to get as far away from the president as they can. Even as voters have to come to value, and even demand, components of the Affordable Care Act, a majority still despises the law when it's called by its other name: ObamaCare. That's enough for Democrats in tight races to flee Obama, even as his healthcare law does more to decrease the average deficit than anything done since the Ford administration.

THE REST:

http://thehill.com/blogs/pundits-blog/economy-budget/221996-a-smaller-federal-deficit-but-democrats-wont-talk-about-it

POLITIFACT rates this as "mostly true", though argues with the reasons: http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2015/jan/20/barack-obama/barack-obama-claims-deficit-has-decreased-two-thir/

Even the stinking WSJ had to admit the deficit had shrunk: http://blogs.wsj.com/economics/2014/10/08/the-federal-deficit-is-now-smaller-than-the-average-since-the-1980s/

[handmade34]

1. K&R n/t

[OverseaVisitor]

2. He saved US from Total Collapse

That is my opinion.

US was on the brink of a total disaster after 8 years of Bush.

It is still very fragile.

But I can clearly see that he is now trying to fight the culture of hate/fear.

For his reward on all his effort

24/7 Obama bashing.

[joshcryer]

3. +1

[Demeter]

4. I'm sorry, but in a time of massive rampant unemployment

that still hasn't even remotely recovered, cutting the deficit is exactly the WRONG thing to do.

Ask anyone who is a real economist, or a victim of Eurozone austerity. Or your neighbor age 58, who will never have a real job again.

[Triana]

9. I agree with what you say. But the point of the article as I read it was...

1. Deficits are only an issue when Republicans say it is (ie: when a Democrat is President or Dems control Congress). The GOP controls all messaging. And Democrats don't even try to say anything. Timid little pipsqueaks.
2. When deficits are cut by a Democratic admin, Republicans are magically silent except to continue to hoot and holler about Democrats being 'big spenders' and about the debt (nevermind it was racked up by Republicans in prior admins). Again Democrats don't even try. Timid little pipsqueaks.
3. Republicans sell themselves as the fiscally responsible party. "Small government" and such. They're clearly not.

But here's the thing (and this is me talking, not from the OP) -- Republicans know better. They know we don't need "small government". What we need is government that works for the majority of US citizens. We don't have that. The problem isn't the size of government. The problem is who the government works for. And it's not us. And they KNOW that. And they intend to keep it that way. Because it works for them and their rich owners. And Democrats? Them too. They go along with the propaganda and the game.

This is how we know Republicans know "small government" isn't the answer:

When a Democrat is in office, it's a constant chant of CUT CUT CUT from Republicans - the advocated cuts coming always from the middle class and poor and all the services they rely on.

When there's a Republican President, it's SPEND SPEND SPEND from Republicans (all talk of debt or deficits suddenly vanished) -- primarily on huge tax cuts, loopholes, favorable treatment and subsidies for Wall St and the wealthiest and big corporations -- of course at the expense of the rest of the US citizenry, who have to make up the difference in tax revenues by paying more and/or suffer cuts in critical services they rely on and horrendous job losses -- when next there's a Democratic admin to beat up about that debt and deficits previously created by Republican spending on their rich friends. And the Democratic admin obligingly CUTS CUTS CUTS to show how fiscally responsible (s)he is. Obama even talked about cutting Social Security.

And so it goes -- around and around. The propaganda WORKS!

Democrats kowtow to the Republican messaging (instead of formulating their own) and CUT -- when they could and should just call out this bullshit instead. Why don't they? That's a good question for Obama, for every Democrat in Washington, in the states, and every Dem candidate thinking of running. I suspect it's because too many of the Dems are owned by the same moneyed interests as the Republicans and they don't want to piss off their donor/owners. So they just go along with it and if the American people are none the wiser for the most part, then it works for everyone. Well...for the politicians and their rich owners anyway. And really, no one else counts, do they?

But if Republicans want to screech and howl about deficits and how Democrats are so fiscally irresponsible while Republicans are allegedly the economically responsible party, then Obama essentially took away one excuse they had to do it. Is that a 'win'? Well... we can rub their nincompoop CON faces in it. That's about it. It's a political game. And you and I are nothing but piss poor pawns in it.

Of course Republicans are still howling about deficits and they always will. Because who is going to pay for all those tax cuts they just gave to the wealthiest on the federal and state levels -- again -- with all those new and regressive consumption taxes they're imposing while cutting taxes (again) for corporations and the wealthy? It will be US of course. And our Democratic "representatives" in office will be only too happy to once again kowtow to Republican messaging by CUTTING services and refusing to impose fairer taxes on the damn rich and the corprats -- and refusing to call out this little propaganda game for what it is.

The truth is, no politician needs our votes when this trickery works so well on the masses and we're unable to get the access needed to call them out on it. And they don't need our votes when they have Koch and Wall St. money to buy their way into whatever office they like. So why should they expose this nice little racket? Seriously. Why?

Someone really ought to ask one of the Democrats that question and see what answer they come up with. But us piss poor pawns don't have enough dollars to guy that kind of access.

[Thor_MN]

10. Convince the Republican obstructed, now led, Congress to spend some money

on something other than the military or tax cuts for the 1%.

[bigwillq]

5. K and R

[Overseas]

6. That's an easy K&R.

[Jamaal510]

7. Democrats/progressives are the true fiscal conservatives, oddly enough.

Whether it's in D.C. or on the state level (like here in CA with Jerry Brown), this party has had to clean up GOP stains for decades.

[Sherman A1]

23. Precisely

[blkmusclmachine]

8. Obama is the best Republican Prez since Clinton.

[ND-Dem]

11. Yes, spending reductions are the best way to fight recessions. It worked so well in '29.

[BeanMusical]

13. +1

[ND-Dem]

16. thanks for getting it. this kind of crap is what passes for political wisdom these days: "our guy

reduced the deficit more than republican in the middle of the biggest economic downturn since the Great Depression! Hip Hip Hooray for our guy! Rich people love him better than republicans!"

[Laura PourMeADrink]

12. Hire a big shot PR agent NOW..

We as a party are the absolute worst at getting a unified positive message out there.

ID our strong suit and send the position papers out to every single Democrat who ever speaks to the press.

What the Repukes do.

If we had had that we wouldn't have lost the senate in Nov.

[quakerboy]

14. thats not a coincidence

Its on purpose. Any positive message from one Democrat will be countered by a mixed message by another Democrat. Corporate Democrats purposefully neutralize any liberal Democratic voice, leaving Republicans free to turn the conversation in whatever direction their common masters wish.

[ND-Dem]

15. +100. thank you. it's no accident and it becomes clearer all the time.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

22. I am sorry but I can not fathom this to be true. I'd rather

think that we are all free thinkers and aren't easily "rounded up."

And, are not as politically savvy. And, have not had a brilliant true
leader in forever.

[ND-Dem]

20. that's purposeful, the confusion of messages. i just read something about it but haven't

been able to find it again.

[YoungDemCA]

17. This is an excellent example of the Right defining the terms of the debate

It's frustrating and depressing. Even when they lose the argument, they still get much of what they want at the end of the day.

Must Democrats always be playing defense?

[Triana]

18. I don't think most Democrats are playing at all.

If they are, it always seems that they're underhandedly doing so for the other side.

[ND-Dem]

19. exactly.

[former9thward]

21. Weird OP.

Obama has 2 years left. He has not left anything yet.