Smasharoo wrote:
Oh. And while I'm thinking about it. I suppose you could admit you were wrong about the debt ceiling not being the end of the deficit reduction conversation. You know? When I said "there's still the whole sequestration thing coming",
You didn't. Had you, I certainly would have.
Lol (including full bit for context):
gbaji wrote:
Of course. They'll raise the debt ceiling. Why on earth would you think otherwise? There's no way to *not* raise the debt ceiling. This is all theater at this point and you darn well know it. The GOP will call for cuts in spending in return for raising the debt ceiling. The Democrats will refuse. GOP will make a big show of saying that if we don't do something about spending, our deficit will keep growing and the problem will get worse. Insert rhetoric about kicking the can down the road again. Dems will dismiss GOP demands as hostage holding over the debt ceiling and suggest that we should talk about deficit reduction as a separate issue. GOP then takes the high road, says they will "reluctantly" pass a debt ceiling increase, but promise to hold the Dems to deficit talks in coming months.
Sound about right? It's all about public perception Smash. The whole plan from the GOP side is to present their side as loudly and strongly as possible, then appear to give in (compromise if you will) but in as minimal a way as possible (it's not like the GOP actually loses anything by increasing the debt ceiling, they just gain the opportunity to repeat the need for spending cuts). And over time, the Dems will look more and more irrational and unreasonable when we get to the deficit reduction part of this and they continue to refuse to cut anything meaningful. You get that the debt ceiling is not the end of this, right? We still have the pushed back sequestration and whatnot coming down the pipeline.
And when that time comes, the GOP will be able to point to how they compromised on taxes, and they compromised on the debt ceiling, and then ask when the Dems are going to compromise on spending. They'll point to the still looming deficit. They'll make the argument that the GOP is willing to give ground for the good of the people, but not the Dems. Oh, I'm sure the left will do as much as they can in the media to blunt this message, but again, at some point that stops working. You can only claim you're doing something without actually doing it for so long before people stop believing you.
To which you said:
Smasharoo wrote:
You get that the debt ceiling is not the end of this, right?
Nope, it's the end. The GOP learned how important an issue debt was to voters in '12. They, unlike you, aren't complete morons. The GOP hierarchy is already searching for traction on another signature issue. Gerrymandering only gets you so far, crying wolf about a steadily improving economy isn't going to sell in two years. If history is any guide the Obama administration will overreach and have some 2nd term scandal (an actual one, not a bullsh*t manufactured Libya one) that will provide an easy distraction from the massive failure of convincing anyone to give a @#%^ about the debt.
Which lead to this exchange (smooshed for clarity):
Smasharoo wrote:
gbaji wrote:
Smasharoo wrote:
You get that the debt ceiling is not the end of this, right?
Nope, it's the end.
I'll quote you on this when it ends out not being the end.
You should. Then, if that's actually the case, I'll post "I was wrong," then continue my day. It's a sort of superpower I have called "integrity".
So much for integrity, I guess.