Republicans still can’t explain why their economic ideas keep failing

[swag]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2015/11/11/republicans-still-cant-explain-why-their-economic-ideas-keep-failing/

By Paul Waldman

Watching last night’s debate, I experienced a moment of breathless anticipation when one of the moderators, Gerard Baker of the Wall Street Journal, asked Carly Fiorina a version of what I think is the single most important economic question the Republican presidential candidates should have to answer. Let’s look at what Baker asked, and then we’ll look at how I’d put it, and what the candidates did and didn’t say:

“Now, in seven years under President Obama, the U.S. has added an average of 107,000 jobs a month. Under President Clinton, the economy added about 240,000 jobs a month. Under George W. Bush, it was only 13,000 a month. If you win the nomination, you’ll probably be facing a Democrat named Clinton. How are you going to respond to the claim that Democratic presidents are better at creating jobs than Republicans?”

As Brian Beutler noted afterward, that is exactly what Democrats will be saying next year. So how did Fiorina respond? She told the story of a woman she met who worries about her economic situation, then said, “Yes, problems have gotten much worse under Democrats,” which is the opposite of the truth, then went on to decry how government has been “crushing the engine of economic growth for a very long time.”

In other words, she didn’t answer the question. But its essence is this. The Republican candidates all propose variations on the same theme, which is that the way to boost the economy is to cut taxes and scale back government regulation of business.

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[merrily]

1. I wish to heaven there were more authors who were not shilling for one

major party or the other. As long as we insist upon blaming one party or the other, we will never see the truth.


Now, to continue my search for more windmills at which I may tilt.

[rocktivity]

2. Their economic ideas don't fail

They simply aren't made to succeed for everyone.


rocktivity

[ladjf]

3. They know exactly why their eco ideas keep failing.

But, they don't want to tell you that the money is being pocketed by the Pubs and their employers.