Wednesday's Republican Presidential debate in Colorado hosted by CNBC was billed as a debate concerning the issues of the economy and jobs but failed the test. The republican's answers were the same as they have been in every republican debate since President Reagan's era. The government is too big; too much government regulations; national debt is too large; tax cuts that benefit those who need them the least; social security and medicare are bankrupt; democrats will raise your taxes; etc., etc., and etc.
The moderators never had a handle on the real questions that should have been asked concerning the economy and jobs, debt, balancing the federal budget and federal spending. Why would the republicans much tried tax plan work when prior to Obama becoming President when republicans controlled the White House 20 of the previous 28 years yet during those 28 years it was President Clinton's administration who produced the best of every thing including balancing the federal budget while Reagan, Bush 41 and Bush 43 created 20 years of debt with deficit spending.
Now the republicans are running against Obama's policies that have performed much better for the country and its people than the policies of President George W. Bush who implemented and said the $1.5 trillion tax cut that was supposed to expand the economy, create jobs and balance the budget but it never happened. In fact the worst of things happened.
The republicans only answer is tax cuts and they have failed the test every time to produce the desired results. The worst part of the republicans rhetoric come from those candidates who are serving in congress, governors and former governors who call for balanced budgets, debt reduction, reduced federal spending and etc., but whose party has never accomplished any of those things while holding the White House in the past 50 years. But democratic administrations have under President's Johnson, Clinton and Obama.
The republican party and its candidates will continue to run against Obama, Clinton and Sanders because they still can not articulate any real policy on the issues. This writer understands why one moderator wanted to know where the candidates stand on "fantasy football." It of course is not even an issue and should have never been brought up but I guess the moderator was tired of the same old worn out rhetoric of tax cuts and the elimination of government regulations as the problem solver.
CNBC's regular daily programs concern money matters such as finances, the stock market, the economy, jobs, trade and etc. Most of their hosts endorsed the Bush tax cuts as a boom for the economy and jobs and balancing the federal budget and they were one of many who said the economy was sound when it was falling apart in 2008. One would think their moderators would have done a better job at asking the republican candidates just how their tax cuts would work when the party's previous ones failed. What a missed opportunity.
This commentary written by Joe Lorio
