Republicans Won't Clean This Up By 2012

[SoDesuKa]

The Republicans seem to believe they can explain Ryan to 2012 voters and make it a winner. It's a tough sell, because there's no reason to trust them. Ryan himself seems to think that it's a matter of voter comprehension; that is, if voters "get" the point, they'll fall into line.

Republicans' big problem is that they don't have clean hands. Even if they could make a convincing case that there's no money to fund all the projected entitlements, they're completely unwilling to consider increasing government revenue. And they also refuse to address runaway defense spending.

Books will be written about how the Republicans went all in on a losing issue. Is it simply because groupthink got away from them? My own opinion is that it's a legacy of the disastrous Bush-Cheney years, which they haven't come to terms with. Bush did enormous harm to the Republican brand, and they can't admit it because they think self-criticism is disloyal - itself a legacy of Bushism.

[kentuck]

1. They are depending on the media to confuse the issue...

"...but on the other hand, the Republicans say..."

[Hannah Bell]

2. it's going to happen. all this "losing issue" is beside the point.

in another epic triangulation it's going to happen unless people get wise.

but they seem to be more concerned with the word "slut".

because oppression of women on the basis of their sexual activities is rampant in modern america.

[sufrommich]

3. I don't think they can either. I am amused by how many of them

were willing to fall on their swords though.

[no_hypocrisy]

4. What if it's about getting Ryan's plan and not about 2012?

Republicans are patient IMO. They may well concede the WH in 2012 but work on majorities in the House and the Senate. Even if Ryan's Medicare "reform" is vetoed until they either get the WH or a supermajority to override a veto after 2016. This may not necessarily go away after the Senate vote yesterday.

[sufrommich]

5. They won't get a super majority let alone a majority. Ryan's budget

plan exposes who they really are and people don't like what they see.

[SoDesuKa]

7. Clean Hands

Republicans have been asking voters to sign off on all kinds of bullshit and trickery; and for the most part voters have gone along. But government credibility suffered over the Bush years. We don't expect the government to tell us the truth, and if the truth gets out by accident we still regard it with suspicion.

Comes now Paul Ryan with the same unclean hands as every other Republican. There's no reason to believe anything he's got to say, especially since he won't even address other aspects of America's fiscal problems - the free ride for the rich, the expensive wars, the bailouts . . . Why does the government zero in on Granny's health care?

Ryan and its larger implication that the government is doing too much for ordinary people - is a massive miscalculation because Republicans refuse to acknowledge the damage Bush did. Ryan requires trust, but there isn't any trust. And there won't be until government backtracks over the Bush legacy.

[malaise]

6. Grandma and grandpa understand this issue

and so do their children and grandchildren. ReTHUGS have finally Cheneyed themselves properly and I'm lovin' it.
Subsidies for oil companies and tax breaks for the rich at the expense of grandma will never sell.

Fuck every ReTHUG
Stay away from Medicare!!

[SoDesuKa]

8. There's No Reason to Trust Republicans

Republicans think they've gotten away with the Bush years, but they didn't. People don't trust them, and they certainly won't let the Republicans take away the social safety net.

[Name removed]

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[mmonk]

9. It depends on the Democrats from now til then.

[annabanana]

10. "which opponents say will destroy Medicare" It has already started.

"Which some say".."Which, according to Democrats". .

All these weasel locutions absolve our corrupted media from having to GIVE US THE FACTS of what is actually IN the plan. .

"Premium Support" is just another way of saying voucher, discount coupon etc etc. But as long as the media is DETERMINED not to declare that the Ryan plan will dismantle Medicare for everyone under 55 then the fog will roll in...

[mwb970]

11. Typical hubris.

"Ryan himself seems to think that it's a matter of voter comprehension; that is, if voters 'get' the point, they'll fall into line."

This is a variation on the tired line spouted by election losers everywhere: "We didn't get our message out properly. If the people had understood what we are really saying, we would have won."

Trouble is, this time the people did understand what they're really saying! And they lost. Big time. Thank God republican ideology prevents them from responding to changing circumstances; they are sure to "double down" on their losing strategy, making them even bigger losers.

[Name removed]

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[Vinca]

13. I was disturbed to hear the guy filling in for Dylan Ratigan on MSNBC

parrot the phrase "Mediscare." I actually think they'll get their "message" all over the place, but citizens have finally come alive after a long, long sleep and realize Republicans are trying to serve them up to big insurance. The 2012 election could be a serious, serious landslide for Dems.

[sinkingfeeling]

15. So the point is to eliminate retirement and health security for millions, decimate public

education, allow the infrastructure of the country to fall into ruin, and end all safeguards so that corporations can maim and poison us at will, while maintaining the empire, wars, and not taxing corporations or the extreme wealthy? What didn't I get Mr. Ryan?