Republican debate tonight on CNN.

[Durantula]

Gah, that wasn't even a debate. Lots of bad questions followed by grandstanding.

That being said, I think Rick Perry won the debate...lol

[jw33]

I think everyone did well IMO except for Pawlenty and Bachmann. To me they came off as lightweights who were simply saying what people wanted to hear. Everyone else was pretty equal on the popularity of their responses. Romney and Santorum were very well spoken, but I can't say either are true to what comes out of their mouth. I'm still a huge Ron Paul supporter because you absolutely get what you see and I believe more people are taking what he is saying serious.

[Vertnut]

1979 was awful (largely due to the oil shock) but every year afterwards had respectable overall growth.



Reagan's tax cuts hardly lasted one year before he signed TEFRA, perhaps the largest tax increase in history. Later in '82 he increased the gas tax on truckers and in '83 increased the social security tax.

The Tax Reform Act of '86 wasn't what some seem to think it was. All that did was shift about $120 billion from visible income taxes to hidden business taxes. The tax cuts in the bill were offset by elimination or reduction of deductions.

And he created jobs through government spending. Actually, he spent 28.7% of national income to his predecessor Carter's 27.9% despite railing Carter for spending so much during his campaign.

Bigger government and more taxes!

When people are prosperous, they don't sweat taxes near as much. What taxes kill are "stimulation" of jobs and economy, which is what our concern is right now. All numbers count in an economy. Funny how you don't mention Carter's atrocious inflation rates, so I will: 1979 avg. was over 11%! 1980 was over 12 1/2%. After Reagans' inauguration (Jan. 81), it was 10.35. In '82, it fell to 6.16, and 3.22 in '83. The rest of his first and second term, inflation was less than 4% a year.

[Sean88gt]

Oh bullshit. Supply and demand dictates job growth, not tax rates.

http://www.iowafiscal.org/2011docs/1...-corptaxes.pdf

Are you retarded?

Yes, supply and demand principles apply, but when people are terrified that the country is going to slide up on a rock demand dies. It has nothing to do with supply and demand but confidence in the market and the good feelings that consumers base purchases on.

[Vertnut]

Are you retarded?

Yes, supply and demand principles apply, but when people are terrified that the country is going to slide up on a rock demand dies. It has nothing to do with supply and demand but confidence in the market and the good feelings that consumers base purchases on.

His attitude is the same as our current administrations, and THAT is the problem.

[big_tiger]

I think everyone did well IMO except for Pawlenty and Bachmann. To me they came off as lightweights who were simply saying what people wanted to hear. Everyone else was pretty equal on the popularity of their responses. Romney and Santorum were very well spoken, but I can't say either are true to what comes out of their mouth. I'm still a huge Ron Paul supporter because you absolutely get what you see and I believe more people are taking what he is saying serious.

Pretty much the entire debate was about things they all agree on. I didn't see any debate, just soap boxes. I agree with you on Romney and Santorum.

Ron Paul still looked the way always does, but I think I am figuring out why. I think, to him, every question that was asked him was a loaded question; because of how screwed up everything is. I think he should do less building his answers up, and just get to the point of what he would want to do.

I don't find that knowing so much about everything and can pick every fault with something apart a bad thing lol.

[Denny]

I think that anyone depending on the President (or government in general) to get them jobs.

Duurrrrr hurrrrr, which President has the best plan on creating jobs?

THE ONE THAT LEAVES GOVERNMENT OUT OF THE PRIVATE SECTOR, JACKASSES!

That is the only thing that people seem to be interested in, as it is almost always the first points/questions when talking to any of these candidates. The ONLY thing (financially) they need to be worried about is balancing the debt and not running on a deficit of any kind.

As long as dipshits look to the government to "fix" our economy, we're screwed. Especially since they can't even take care of their finances on the Federal side. Why look to ignorance to handle the rest?

Seriously, if you have a plan for whatever our economy throws at us, then you can prosper without blaming some political party or who is in office. When the people start pointing fingers to Washington and demanding results, you get idiots like Barry and Nancy throwing chaos into full speed (like now).

[mikeb]

Are you retarded?

Yes, supply and demand principles apply, but when people are terrified that the country is going to slide up on a rock demand dies. It has nothing to do with supply and demand but confidence in the market and the good feelings that consumers base purchases on.

Exactly. Business growth is tied to tax cuts because tax cuts cause growth in other parts of the economy (ie: consumers); when businesses detect that consumers are flush then the business makes plans for growth. When consumers are strapped by high taxes they cut back on spending and the money to business dries up. The consumer only has a set amount of money and when uncle sam takes a bigger cut that leaves less for discretionary spending. Higher taxes = more people only buying necessities.

It's even worse today because consumers are now debt adverse and will not assume more debt to maintain a certain lifestyle - they just quit spending. Hell, even walmart is seeing a spending slowdown in their stores. You know its bad when walmart cannot make money.

[Geor!]

Went out to dinner last night instead and wasn't able to watch.

[jw33]

Well everyone in the media must have had really really low expectations for Bachmann because she is getting the royal treatment today in the news. You would think by reading the general review of the debate she rolled out a formula for cold fusion or a cure for cancer the way they are carrying on. Now that they've all come out and officially said what they have done/intend to do I want to see their official track record.

Did anyone catch the part when Romney said we will hand over Afghanistan to the taliban military? Lol or when Bachmann said she would defer to the Comander in Chief about when to bring the troops home if she were president?

[Cannonball996]

I heard a lot of rhetoric, but no real substance. other then ron paul, who has put forth several plans related to many of the issues, none of the other candidates have put plans out there.

I heard a lot of talk on repealing obamacare, but no one could say how they would do it and what they would replace it with.

lot of talk on spending cuts, but no one really could say where they would make the big cuts.

lot of talk on job creation, but no plans there either, just tax cuts but those could take years, we need jobs now.

and no one mentioned anything about the shrinking middle class.

[The King]

Well everyone in the media must have had really really low expectations for Bachmann because she is getting the royal treatment today in the news. You would think by reading the general review of the debate she rolled out a formula for cold fusion or a cure for cancer the way they are carrying on. Now that they've all come out and officially said what they have done/intend to do I want to see their official track record.

Did anyone catch the part when Romney said we will hand over Afghanistan to the taliban military? Lol or when Bachmann said she would defer to the Comander in Chief about when to bring the troops home if she were president?

I didn't watch the debate, but those are two gaffes are almost worthy of Dan Quayle.

[jw33]

...And I don't fully understand how they are declaring certain people "winners" and "losers" in the news this morning. If you go by the crowd reaction and amount of applause it was clearly Paul and Bachmann who were the winners. I just didn't feel like I heard any clear answers by from Bachmann and she was always quick to blow her own horn about everything it seemed.

[Sean88gt]

It sounds less like a debate and more like a panel of people grabbing for votes.

[jw33]

It was more of a question/answer session.