General Discussion

...at least the last 45 years. Unfortunately, it works.

Carville's snowclone about the economy in 1992 was not wrong: most elections hinge on the economy. And if we ask ourselves why Republicans are almost always seen as being better for the economy in polling, we can only come to one conclusion: people--in general--either believe or really want to believe their lies. And this--probably more than any other factor--has driven both the national debt and income inequality up over the last half-century.

But it works. And it works for a good reason: everyone has to be concerned with their own economic reality above almost anything else. This is a powerful force in politics. And the threat of taxation is the biggest reason for this. Even for programs that you really want to see implemented, raise your hand if you want your personal taxes to go up? Raise your hand if you can even afford for your personal taxes to go up?

Republicans say, cutting taxes will grow the economy. That's a simple--albeit untrue--statement*. Democrats can't say, raising taxes will grow the economy--even though that statement is more true for a host of reasons--and still win elections.

Republicans have carefully honed this lie. It goes so far as to even make people believe that somehow their employer's taxes directly affect their own economic security, so even raising taxes on the wealthy and corporations will be a net-negative for them. Throw in an unhealthy dose of bashing Democrats as wanting to just throw your tax dollars at government programs full of "waste, fraud and abuse"--another really effective lie that is easy to believe--and you've got a simple message that apparently resonates.

This has worked. Democrats talk about big ideas for government programs that poll very well. Who doesn't want everyone to have affordable healthcare? But these plans are not simple, and lying about them really isn't an option for Democrats. The American people's eyes glaze over with dollar signs as details emerge and pros and cons are debated and the Republicans whisper in their ear, "you can have everything you want--and you don't have to pay for it."

Americans may know better, but that doesn't ease the worry about their personal economy. What if my taxes do go up to provide affordable healthcare to everyone even though I have pretty good healthcare from my job? What if my taxes do go up to help people I don't know feed their kids--or to pay for Boomers' Social Security? Where will I be? These are real questions for most people.

Both unfortunately and fortunately for Democrats: lying isn't really in their DNA like it is for Republicans--for a host of reasons. They need another strategy that focuses on the economic success of Americans and not on the government programs that will help drive that success. It is akin to the conundrum parents face at dinnertime: how do you get your kid to eat healthy food without them knowing it is healthy? Sometimes you have to sneak it in with something they actually want to eat--because in the long run you know it is going to be better for them.

The one saving grace for Democrats over the last half-century is the fact that Republican policies are really bad for the economy--even if Americans don't believe it. Since Regan, my personal question has always been: how will the Republicans screw up the economy this time? And they always do--leaving the next Democrat to scramble to clean it up and derail their own agenda for years in the process.

*If tax cuts for the wealthy and large corporations really grew the economy they would be inflationary. This never happens after one of these big tax cuts. Government spending does stimulate the economy, and we can see from the pandemic-era spending that it is inflationary.