
Six were left standing for the Republican debate at Iowa’s Drake University. The opening question: “What distinguishes your approach to the number-one problem for most Americans, creating jobs?”
Newt Gingrich - lower taxes, less regulation. Mitt Romney - lower taxes, less regulation, zero capital gains tax, 12.5% corporate tax, restrict trade, stimulate energy [frak for gas, dig for oil]. Ron Paul - lower taxes, less regulation, no bailouts, balance the budget. Rick Perry - lower taxes, less regulation, root out “corruption.” Michele Bachmann - lower taxes, less regulation, kill the EPA and “Obamacare.” Rick Santorum - lower taxes, less regulation, stimulate energy [frak for gas, dig for oil].
All believe that left to itself, “the market” will heal all economic wounds, which didn’t work when Herbert Hoover tried it during the Great Depression. FDR began creating real jobs with the CCC, WPA, TVA, etc., until WW II took over, leading some to imagine that WW II “saved” the economy. Making guns, tanks, and airplanes was a huge “stimulus package,” but Republicans today, with zero stimulous and no jobs programs at all, short of starting World War III, where do they imagine jobs will come from? Businesses already have mountains of cash they won’t spend because there are no customers. How can dumping more cash into corporate bank accounts
create customers? All it can do is turn this Republican Recession into a death-grip Republican Depression.
Newt Gingrich, the “idea man,” had one big idea: smile! and while each of the others answered a question aimed at him personally—Does personal character have a place in this race?—locked on a Buddha smile while each rhapsodized about his or her personal saintliness. When it was his turn, he tutted-tutted that he’d made “mistakes” while the camera focused on Callista, his third wife, in the audience.
If any one of these ditto-heads becomes president, Americans trying to grab a piece of the American Dream will have to go to Canada, Brazil, Europe, Asia, Australia, anywhere but America to grab it.