Posted by
John Caile on Wednesday, October 08, 2008 12:24:23 PM
Over and over the mantra is repeated: a bad economy is good for Democrats. But, in the name of reason, why? After all, with their abysmal record in State governments, why would any sane person trust Democrats to "fix" the National economy? A quick look at the States where Democrats control both the legislature and the Governor's office should warn us of what to expect. (Hint: think "Jimmy Carter")
Take Michigan - an unemployment rate near 10%, out of control government spending, massive deficits, and a tax structure that has already driven good businesses out of the State. And what does Democrat Governor Jennifer Granholm do? Raise taxes again. The result - revenues drop again, along with personal and business income. And despite extravagant spending, Detroit schools have a shockingly low graduation rate - only 27% of students get a diploma!
Illinois is little better. They have spent like drunken sailors, pillaged the State's pension fund, and taxed the populace to the breaking point - Chicago has an outrageous 10.25% sales tax! And the rampant violent crime in Chicago (600 murders a year), along with idiotic gun bans that leave innocent citizens defenseless, has pushed economic development out to the suburbs, or more often, completely out of the State.
Then there's Louisiana - contrary to the media created myth that the Federal Government "failed" the citizens of New Orleans during hurricane Katrina, the people of Louisiana knew that it was the city's bungling Democrat Mayor and ineffectual Democratic Governor who were responsible. Katrina was merely the last straw in a long line of incompetent and corrupt government policies. But unlike Michigan, Louisiana voters responded by electing a conservative Republican, Bobby Jindahl, in a landslide. He inherited a huge mess to deal with, but things are already looking up.
Finally, if you really want to see what a Democrat controlled country would look like, spend some time in California. Yes, I know, they have a putatively Republican Governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, but despite his occasional attempts to cut spending, the Democrat dominated legislature continues to offer more and more "free" government goodies to everyone in sight (including millions of illegal aliens), while running up multi-BILLION dollar deficits. And every week, dozens of businesses move out.
Time and again Democrats prove that they simply don't "get it" when it comes to taxes, business, and the economy - they don't even understand that American oil companies don't sell oil, they have to buy it. Heck, they still can't figure out why raising tax rates doesn't raise tax revenues - it often lowers them, something even a college economic student understands.
Why then do a significant number of people look to Democrats in troubled times? The answer isn't that complicated. After decades of left-leaning news media, movies, and TV shows demonizing "big business" (the very businesses that provide jobs and income to millions), Democrats have an advantage.
Average Americans, busy with their lives, and not understanding the complexities of tax and economic policy, simply find it easier to fall for the "Republicans are for Business - Democrats are for the little guy" canard. How else to explain Michigan, where as noted, Democrat policies have wreaked havoc on the local economy, yet astonishingly, Barak Obama is ahead in the polls!
Unfortunately, when one looks into the policies that will certainly be implemented under an Obama administration allied with a Democratically dominated Congress, the result will likely be an economic disaster.
Ironically, the people harmed most by Obama's politically motivated policies will be the very people who put him in office.