Paying the political price







(pp. 217-18)









2 Comments (+add yours?)

  1. aaron
    Nov 23, 2009 @ 21:56:00

    Sad but true. Far too many politicians are more willing to put their interests (and the interests of their donors) ahead of the interests of the people. FWIW, cutting against that perspective is what Senator Michael Bennet (D-CO) said the other day:


    “Yes,” Bennet bluntly and simply replied.


  2. JewishAtheist
    Nov 24, 2009 @ 10:14:30

    Certainly some legislators are opposing the bill out of cynical Machiavellianism. However, don’t underestimate how many of them are really ideologically opposed to it. People can convince themselves of anything.

    It is my hypothesis that the reason the Republican party is in such bad shape is exactly because the Republican elite (such as it is) started actually believing the rhetoric that previous generations of Republican elites had only used dishonestly. Reagan talked a good game against taxes (what voter wants more taxes?!) but he even he raised them when he felt he had to. HW Bush famously swore not to raise taxes and then raised them when he felt he had to. Nowadays, I can’t think of a prominent Republican who would do that. Not because they would choose popularity over doing what they think is the right thing, but that they’re not even capable of seeing the right thing if it goes against the rhetoric.

    Actually, I take that back. George W. Bush did (approximately) the right thing with TARP even though it went against all Republican rhetoric. I’d like to know who convinced him.


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