C. Max wrote:
"As long as the Dems play catch-up by invoking fiscal responsibility, they will lose to Repugs who promise more specific benefits, albeit debt- financed ones."
- and thereby echoed the sentiment of many smart Democratic strategists. Okay, the problem is I see it is that it's harder for the Democrats to "play catch-up" with Republicans in the fiscal irresponsibility race. Simple fact: Democrats have to tax to spend on their target constituencies. Republicans can award their constituents with both tax-cutting *and* spending. That means the Democrats have to do one hard thing and one easy thing while the Repugs just do two easy things. How can the Dems possibly win that contest? Republicans still get to divvy up the spending pie and then promise tax cuts without hard choices. I say that dynamic puts the Republicans in the catbird seat.
Look at the stimulus bill and the Bush tax cut versus the Gore "Me Too" tax cut. The story of this administration and congress is the Republicans' vastly outspending the Democrats on Repug constituencies and then promising bigger tax cuts. How can you lose?
Republicans have a long, demonstrated record of being the party of fiscal irresonsibility. It has worked for them for more than 20 years and the reason is that they have been able to hold out the constant promise of tax cuts without consequences. Tax cuts have been the camouflage for Republican class warfare. Tax cuts have been the broadly popular message they marry to the narrowly popular message of cuts in subsidies to the working class. They reward 65% of the voters with tax cuts, punish 30% of voters (not people, voters) with program cuts. Meanwhile, the Democrats deficit spend to make sure that the big middle of the income curve doesn't get hurt.
Then when demographics are working in favor of the Democrats and Clinton finally gets the budget into surplus (with an unpopular tax hike), the Democrats allow Shrub to squander it, despite having enough votes in the Senate to shut him down. That is just bad strategy. Remember, Clinton won the government shutdown contest.
The Democrats can win at fiscal responsibility. They simply cannot win at spending because the Republicans spend at both ends.