Republicans in 2010

John Hawkin's latest article argues that Democrats are going to have a hard time in 2010. I agree that that is certainly possible. But I disagree with his rationale as to why things are going to be tough in 2010.

He says it's because of deficits. Two years of Democratic Deficits will be far more convincing than eight years of Republican deficits, if Republicans can convince the American people that they have learned the lesson and are going to change their ways. Personally I think it's a tough sell, considering they are going to continue promising huge tax cuts going mostly to the wealthy.

Hawkin's brings up the bank bailouts and how frustrated people are at how that is being handled, and claims that it proves that people are made at deficit spending.

Note that not only do Americans strongly oppose any further bank bailouts, they've become considerably more opposed to the original TARP plan. This is not going to be an exception to the rule; it will be a trend.

That means the Democrats have a choice: continue to compulsively push ever more unpopular spending programs or give up on handing out goodies, which is about 75% of the party's appeal.

Hawkin's ideological blinders blind him to a third possibility. People see the bank bailouts, like they see tax cuts for the wealthy, as helping one part of America at the expense of the rest of us. The difference is that the Republican economic strategy revolves entirely around helping the wealthy; where as the Democratic Strategy at least occasionally helps those who actually need some help; America's working class.