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The Democrats: The New Stupid Party?

By Doug Bandow on 8.2.09 @ 6:35AM

The Republicans long have been known, appropriately, as The Stupid Party. But the Democrats might be making a better claim to that name these days.

Reports Byron York:

During the Bush administration, Democrats made huge gains in some important Republican areas. For example, on the question of which party would do a better job in handling the federal budget deficit, Democrats held a 19-point advantage in a November 2005 Journal poll, a 25-point advantage in July 2007, and a 22-point advantage in January 2008.

Now all that has changed. In the new poll, the results have completely turned around, and Republicans hold a six-point advantage. On the related issue of controlling government spending, in July 2007, Democrats held a 16-point advantage. In the new poll, Republicans hold a nine-point lead.

Also in the Bush years, Democrats erased the Republican advantage on the issue of taxes. In November 2005, Democrats held a 10-point advantage over Republicans on the tax issue. That lead diminished over the next few years, but Democrats still held a five-point advantage in January 2008. In the new poll, Republicans have a seven-point advantage.

The big-spending Bush administration and Republican Congress tossed away the mantle of fiscal responsibility. It looks like the even bigger spending Obama administration and Democratic Congress have managed to throw it back!

View all comments (4) | Leave a comment

Eric Dondero| 8.2.09 @ 9:56AM

Yeah, darn that "big spending Bush administration," alright. We don't need any "big spending adminstrations," who appoint former Libertarian Party Chairmen to Cabinet level positions, propose Privatization of Social Security and Medical Savings Accounts, and give us one of the biggest Tax cuts in American history.

What was that that former Baltimore Mayor, now Governor of the "Free State" of Maryland, and a Democrat said of Bush in 2004?

"He's like a 9/11 Terrorist for all his cuts to local and state spending..."

Yupper, Bush the "big spender."

Roy| 8.2.09 @ 11:41AM

Eric: Ditto.

I disagreed with a lot of Bush's spending proposals but the fact that the Democrats had an advantage on this issue never reflected anything other than media bias, public ignorance, and a long time out of power for the Democrats. Some people who really should have known better went along with this meme, but Democrats were bound to correct it as soon as they were in power, and they have.

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BigSkyBob| 8.4.09 @ 8:57PM

The Republican party is not the "stupid" party. They systematically lose to liberals because that is the outcome they want. The accurate label is that the Republican party is the other liberal party. Moderates-acting-as-conservative commentators offering the "stupid" excuse for liberal Republicanism is part-and-parcel of the fraud perpetrated against conservatives that is the Republican party.