The Budget

One thing to keep in mind when considering John McCain's bogus balanced budget plan is that the wound here is entirely self-inflicted. Given the present circumstances, I can't think of any good reason for a presidential candidate to be promising to that we'll be at balanced budgets in four years. It would be nice to see the deficit on a decreasing trajectory rather than an increasing one, but achieving short-term balance isn't necessary or even necessarily desirable.

But since there's a supply-side faction on the right and also a deficit hawk faction on the right, and since McCain doesn't really seem very interested in whether or not his proposals make sense, he seems to have just decided to do both -- flip-flop on the Bush tax cuts and propose large new tax cuts and promise to balance the budget even though he has no way of doing it.

Comments

It's almost like he's appealing to the ignorant, uninformed, and willfully delusional...

That doesn't strike me as a long term strategy for success. Just ask Hillary Clinton.

Posted by Herb | July 15, 2008 9:18 AM

The last person who said they'd balance the budget but didn't have any realistic figures was Bush. We all know how THAT worked out.

To differentiate McCain from Bush, however, I have to admit that Johnny hasn't even provided fictional numbers. He'll just cut taxes and cut spending and it will all work out. Gotta' love a candidate that believes in pixie dust.

Posted by LFC | July 15, 2008 10:13 AM

LFC: After the Clinton years, it was kinda easy to promise a balanced budget. It was well within reach.
And to prove I'm not a Clintonite, hats off to Newt G. for his role in balancing the budget in the mid-90s.

Posted by Tort & Retort | July 15, 2008 11:04 AM

It's almost like he's appealing to the ignorant, uninformed, and willfully delusional...

So what you're saying is that it's a play to the base.

Posted by jlw | July 15, 2008 11:11 AM