Republicans, what is your response to this?

Republicans often like to tout how they are the "fiscally responsible party." They say that their party knows how to handle the budget. Most often times, they cite Ronald Reagan as being a great example of conservatism.

But when you actually look at the data, the exact opposite is true as far as budget deficit numbers are true.

Source: Congressional Budget Office

 The years are color coded according to the party of the presidents.

As you can see, the years Reagan was President the budget deficit increased. As did under George H. Bush and his son, and Nixon and Ford.

Republicans, when you look at data like this what is your response?

Too drunk to understand what's going on with that graph.

The Reason

Almost anyone is a fiscal conservative compared to Obama.Laihendi

Almost anyone is a fiscal conservative compared to Obama.Laihendi

Almost anyone is a fiscal conservative compared to Obama.Laihendi

[QUOTE="Laihendi"]Almost anyone is a fiscal conservative compared to Obama.lo_Pine

Well, there are a few things to say: the first is that the president doesn't pass the budget, congress does. Second, a lot of the deficit has to do with the state of the economy, and at the beginning of Regan's, both Bush's and Obama's terms, there were recessions that cause the deficit to increase. 
 

[QUOTE="Laihendi"]Almost anyone is a fiscal conservative compared to Obama.Ace6301

[QUOTE="Ace6301"][QUOTE="Laihendi"]Almost anyone is a fiscal conservative compared to Obama.Laihendi

[QUOTE="Laihendi"]Almost anyone is a fiscal conservative compared to Obama.lo_Pine

[QUOTE="Ace6301"][QUOTE="Laihendi"]Almost anyone is a fiscal conservative compared to Obama.Laihendi

There's this thing called the "business cycle" and it has nothing to do with whichever party happens to hold the white house.

[QUOTE="Ace6301"][QUOTE="Laihendi"]Almost anyone is a fiscal conservative compared to Obama.Laihendi

Medicare/ Social Security are the two biggest reasons for the deficit. And guess who votes at a higher rate among its demographic? The Elderly.

roulettethedog

[QUOTE="roulettethedog"]

Medicare/ Social Security are the two biggest reasons for the deficit. And guess who votes at a higher rate among its demographic? The Elderly.

TheWalkingGhost

[QUOTE="lo_Pine"][QUOTE="Laihendi"]Almost anyone is a fiscal conservative compared to Obama.Laihendi

[QUOTE="lo_Pine"][QUOTE="Laihendi"]Almost anyone is a fiscal conservative compared to Obama.Jacobistheman

Can we just agree that both parties suck ass?

Can we just agree that both parties suck ass?

turtlethetaffer

Can we just agree that both parties suck ass?

turtlethetaffer

[QUOTE="turtlethetaffer"]

Can we just agree that both parties suck ass?

TheWalkingGhost

[QUOTE="lo_Pine"][QUOTE="Laihendi"]Almost anyone is a fiscal conservative compared to Obama.Laihendi

The paul Ryan Budget, which the GOP adopted and passed in the House, takes 10 years to balance the budget.

Why is Obama incompetent for not "erasing" the deficit in 4 years, when the party you voted for, requires 10 years to accomplish it. 

[QUOTE="TheWalkingGhost"][QUOTE="turtlethetaffer"]

Can we just agree that both parties suck ass?

lo_Pine

[QUOTE="lo_Pine"][QUOTE="TheWalkingGhost"]Yessurrealnumber5

[QUOTE="Laihendi"][QUOTE="lo_Pine"] This thread has nothing to do with Obama himself. Even if it did, Obama undeniably inherited the worst recession since The Great Depression. One that was only exacerbated by his Republican predecessor George W. Bush. What's even more damaging to Republicans is that Bush inherited a budget surplus, but the Republicans still managed to erase that progress and increase the deficit. But again, you bring up Obama for some reason.Blue-Sky

The paul Ryan Budget, which the GOP adopted and passed in the House, takes 10 years to balance the budget.

Why is Obama incompetent for not "erasing" the deficit in 4 years, when the party you voted for, requires 10 years to accomplish it. 

[QUOTE="-Sun_Tzu-"][QUOTE="Jacobistheman"] Bush also inherited a tech bubble and a housing bubble. The tech bubble popped (along with 9/11) and caused the surplus (which was created by a republican congress + Clinton) to turn into a deficit. The housing bubble caused the current recession, but you cannot blame bush for the current deficit. Spending has blow up under Obama, including a bunch of failed attempts to jumpstart the economy. Jacobistheman

And the GOP was more or less right back then - having a budget surplus for the sake of having a budget surplus is terrible fiscal policy and demonstrates a fundamental misconception about what a budget surplus (and by extention budget deficits and the national debt) actually represents. 

[QUOTE="lo_Pine"][QUOTE="Laihendi"] The "inheritance" excuse is ridiculous. Obama could end the obscene deficit spending any time he wanted, but he does not. And to claim that he lowered the deficit is just ignorant. The 2009-2013 deficits are the 5 highest in US history by far. The deficit dropping by a couple hundred billion dollars does not mean much when it went up by a trillion during his first year. I am bringing up Obama because he demonstrates that the democrats are by no means fiscally responsible. If Bill Clinton was fiscally responsible then he would speak out against Obama, but he does not so he is not fiscally responsible either regardless of the surplus.Laihendi

So, how well did the Republican/Conservative view of life work for you, did it motivate you enough to become rich and powerful like you said?

[QUOTE="Jacobistheman"][QUOTE="-Sun_Tzu-"] Um, no. One of the main reasons why the Bush tax cuts were passed was because Republicans thought that the budget surplus was too large and that we were paying down the debt too fast. The fiscal policy of the Bush administration was designed to create a budget deficit. -Sun_Tzu-

And the GOP was more or less right back then - having a budget surplus for the sake of having a budget surplus is terrible fiscal policy and demonstrates a fundamental misconception about what a budget surplus (and by extention budget deficits and the national debt) actually represents. 

[QUOTE="-Sun_Tzu-"]

[QUOTE="Jacobistheman"] WUT? The reason we had a deficit under bush was that revenue went down during the recession in 2000-2001, there was more spending because of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and that the government didn't borrow money from social security instead of external sources. AdamPA1006

And the GOP was more or less right back then - having a budget surplus for the sake of having a budget surplus is terrible fiscal policy and demonstrates a fundamental misconception about what a budget surplus (and by extention budget deficits and the national debt) actually represents. 

I think this when it comes to the death penalty.

A real conservative should oppose it knowing the financial costs, but most don't.

:(

Do conservatives realize that welfare is an embarrassing thing to be on and certainly doesn't give someone optimal living conditions? People don't want to be on welfare, seeing the state of their lives on welfare is the inspiration to get a real job and earn a living wage...monkeytoes61

Why are we even arguing about the deficit? I don't give two f**ks about the deficit anymore. Let the bubble pop all ready. If you are truly against the state, why not let it drown itself while doing something positive for us. Infact more debt sounds good.

Why are we even arguing about the deficit? I don't give two f**ks about the deficit anymore. Let the bubble pop all ready. If you are truly against the state, why not let it drown itself while doing something positive for us. Infact more debt sounds good.

RushKing

what is the Hegelian dialectic? dave123321

Don't know why it was brought up in this thread though. 

Too drunk to understand what's going on with that graph.

The_Lipscomb

[QUOTE="The_Lipscomb"]

Too drunk to understand what's going on with that graph.

mingmao3046