CommonSenseRep
Rookie
- Apr 5, 2019
- 13
- 6
- 1
Hey all,
I'm new to this board, and I'm here to engage in thoughtful, constructive political talk. I realize that is extremely unlikely given that this is the internet. Here we look at the issues that are most important to the voters, and which political party has the winning message on the issue.
The Economy:
Republican's Message:
Donald Trump has revitalized the economy in his first two years, creating close to 5.5 million jobs. The country boasts an average 3% GDP in 2018, a 3.8-3.9% unemployment rate (lowest since the 50s). Historic low unemployment for African Americans, Latinos, and women. In June 2016, Obama stated that manufacturing jobs were never going to come back saying Trump needed 'a magic wand' in order to make it happen. At that time, Obama was averaging about 50,000 added manufacturing jobs. Four months later, Donald Trump was elected. Two years into his presidency, Donald Trump is averaging 550,000 jobs added. Under Obama, GDP growth was hovering around 1.5-2%. Anyone who says Obama is responsible for this booming economy, is not interested in serious discussion. Tax cuts, deregulation, and less government intervention has spurred this growth. Yes, the tax cuts primary benefitted the wealthy and big corporations. Trickle down economics has allowed for these corporations to invest that extra money into wage increases and added investment into the U.S. economy. The result is more jobs, and more opportunity for everyone. The fact is that if you want a job, you can get. Not to mention the USMCA trade deal, and the likely China Trade Deal that will be made. These two, when enacted, will boost the economy even more.
Democrat's Message:
Prohibiting an economic downturn, this is going to be a hard sell for the Democrats in 2020. As we have seen, cutting taxes that primarily benefit the rich and big corporations has promoted added investment back into the economy and an influx of jobs, which in turn has created a booming economy. The Democrats have seen this, and being the savvy politicians they are, they are choosing to go into the exact opposite direction and "TAX THE RICH!!". In theory, this sounds good. Some people have way too much money, so why can't they spare some? Well, like many things that initially sound good in theory, turn out to be very destructive in the long run. Recently, New York state passed legislation taxing the rich. In a press conference after seeing the negative effects of this legislation, NY Gov. Andrew Cuomo said "Tax the rich, tax the rich, tax the rich. We did. Now, God forbid the rich leave." That is what we saw with Obama. He raised taxes on the rich, and corporations began to leave our country for greener pastures such as China and Mexico. These companies have no incentive to stay in our country when they are getting taxed heavily and have to wade through miles of red tape and government intervention. Now, Trump has reversed these policies, and now you see these huge corporations coming back and revitalizing places like Detroit. The Democrats are quite literally promising to return to Obama's policies, but in an even more drastic fashion. They plan to tax the rich in unprecedented amounts in order to pay for universal healthcare and free college, which we will address in a minute.
WINNER: Republicans. The GOP's economic policy has been proven to work and the Democrat's message is regressive and counterproductive.
Economic System Idealogy
Democrats, "Democratic Socialism":
For the first time in American history, a political party that represents half of the country favors socialism over capitalism. On August 13 of this year, a Gallup poll’s results revealed that among Democrats, 57% approve of socialism, while only 47% approve of capitalism. The economic system that has generated the world’s most robust and successful economy is now being rejected by the very country that has reaped its extraordinary benefits for over two centuries. Over the last 150 years, socialism has been implemented in numerous societies; it has failed every time and has resulted in hundreds of millions of deaths. Unlike socialism, capitalism inspires motivation in the workplace, is practical, and is more economically viable. Socialism spends money, but earns nothing. Capitalism spends some money, but earns much more.
Republicans, Capitalism:
Motivation is the general desire and willingness to do something, and it is the very thing that has made America into what it is today. Since its inception, America has provided unprecedented opportunity for all people, which has fueled the motivation shared by all Americans. This feeling of endless opportunity and limitless achievement is what separates private institutions from public institutions. There is a certain pride that is fused with the ownership of private organizations. A public institution is a mandatory service to the taxpayers that fund them, but private institutions are businesses kept alive solely by the initiative and determination of the owner. In a public school, a headmaster knows exactly how much funds the school will receive, exactly what his salary will be, and is told what to do by higher-ups in the Board of Education. In a private school, a school board has the freedom to build and grow their school, pay teachers what they want, and manage the school’s funds as if it were a business. According to the Council for American Private Education, the graduation rate for private high schools is 95%, while only 82% of students are graduating in public schools. In the same study, it was found that the average ACT score in private schools is 23.4, and only 20.3 for public schools. While public schools are at a clear disadvantage, it has been proven that private schools offer a better education. According to U.S. News, the top 50 universities in the country only include 5 public schools, and the top 20 are all private institutions. In nearly every case, it is clear that privately run institutions are more effective than public institutions, due to the differences in motivation and pride necessary to be effective.
WINNER: Hopefully for the country's sake, Republicans. I find it hard to believe a majority of Americans will reject Capitalism and embrace near socialist policies. If the Green New Deal is a mainstream Democratic policy, which one could argue, the Democrats are in a lot of trouble.
Healthcare
Democrats:
The left-leaning Urban Institute evaluated Bernie's health plan and came to the conclusion that it would cost $2.5 trillion in the first year and $32 trillion over ten years. In 2017, federal income taxes generated around $1.5 trillion. To pay for Bernie’s decade long universal healthcare plan income taxes would have to more than triple. Inevitably, Sanders will assure all of his voters that only the wealthy will be taxed. There are over 11 million millionaires living in the United States. If every millionaire’s income was seized by the government, it would only pay for one year of Bernie’s plan. If the total assets of Apple, Google, Microsoft, Facebook and ExxonMobil were confiscated by the government it would pay for only five months of the plan. These findings do not include the free college tuition imbedded in Sanders’ outlandish agenda, which could potentially cost more than universal healthcare. If a socialist plan such as this were fully implemented, it would bankrupt America and bring the world’s most powerful civilization to its knees. What is amazing is that Bernie's agenda was still fringe progressivism only a few years ago. Now, nearly all of the main candidates are endorsing all of these policies. The one thing that is keeping Joe Biden at the top of the polls is his unwillingness to pander to the far left, thereby maintaining his more moderate brand. This is likely to change, as the race to the democratic nomination will also be a race to the far left.
Republicans:
It is going to be hard for Republicans to win on this issue. In the past, Republicans have approached the healthcare in the wrong way. They have attempted to tackle this matter by issuing exhaustive and boring reports from right wing thing tanks, that are, to say the least, not very sexy. The Republicans have to roll out a healthcare plan that is practical but also has the new exciting appeal of universal healthcare.
WINNER: Right now, Democrats. Even if these policies will destroy our economy if fully implemented should a Democrat win the presidency, they are likely winning issues for the Democrats in 2020. The ball is in the Republicans court, and it is up to them as to how they will approach the healthcare question.
Immigration
Democrats:
The Democrat message to the American people on immigration is anything but coherent. During Trump's government shutdown, the Democrats clear message was this: "Trump is taking the American people hostage with this shutdown, over a manufactured crisis, to fulfill his political promises." The 'manufactured crisis' rhetoric is starting to bite the Democrats in the butt. DHS, ICE, and Border Patrol are giving facts and statistics that point to a full blown crisis on our border. In a statement a few weeks ago, Border Patrol stated that under 1,000 apprehensions a day is good day. Anything over 1,000 apprehensions is a bad day. 2,000 apprehensions is at crisis level. They then states that a few days earlier they apprehended 4,000 illegals. That is double the crisis level. They went on to say that their holding facilities are on the verge of collapse. In a typical holding facility, 4,000 illegals is about normal. 6,000 people is at crisis level. Border Patrol states that they are attempting to process 13,000 immigrants through one facility. Attempting to care for the massive overflow of illegals, agents set up fences under a bridge. These people received food, medicine, and shelter. The mainstream media headlined this as "Border Patrol putting people in cages again" The Democrats, in my opinion, want open border style policy when it comes to the border, and it is extremely dangerous.
Republicans:
Republicans want people to come into our country legally. We process over 1 million legal immigrants a year, far and away the most in the world. The Republicans recognize over and over again the real problem with immigration: the broken laws. Our current laws are basically this: Any non-Mexican illegal immigrant apprehended by Border Patrol can then claim asylum. There is no concrete requirement to be eligible for asylum. Asylum means that, by law, Border is required to feed, house, give a court date, and release the immigrants into the mainland. Commonly referred to 'catch and release', this practice is largely seen as a massive loophole by foreigners. It's simple, the Republicans wan't to fix the bad laws.
WINNER: Republicans. Republicans have a clear message, the Democrats do not.
The Republicans seem to be winning on the issues that matter. Why is that Trump's approval numbers are so low? (42%). It may have to do with Trump's style, which are turning off many suburban women and independent voters.
2020 is going to be very interested. If the Democrats can somehow surface a candidate that satisfies the far left, while maintaining a moderate stance on the key issues, then Trump should watch out. It is a very fine line that the Democrats must walk. We will see, but right Trump needs to win in 2020, or our country is in big trouble.
Thanks for reading. I am a senior in high school so any pointers in my writing would be much appreciated.
Will
I'm new to this board, and I'm here to engage in thoughtful, constructive political talk. I realize that is extremely unlikely given that this is the internet. Here we look at the issues that are most important to the voters, and which political party has the winning message on the issue.
The Economy:
Republican's Message:
Donald Trump has revitalized the economy in his first two years, creating close to 5.5 million jobs. The country boasts an average 3% GDP in 2018, a 3.8-3.9% unemployment rate (lowest since the 50s). Historic low unemployment for African Americans, Latinos, and women. In June 2016, Obama stated that manufacturing jobs were never going to come back saying Trump needed 'a magic wand' in order to make it happen. At that time, Obama was averaging about 50,000 added manufacturing jobs. Four months later, Donald Trump was elected. Two years into his presidency, Donald Trump is averaging 550,000 jobs added. Under Obama, GDP growth was hovering around 1.5-2%. Anyone who says Obama is responsible for this booming economy, is not interested in serious discussion. Tax cuts, deregulation, and less government intervention has spurred this growth. Yes, the tax cuts primary benefitted the wealthy and big corporations. Trickle down economics has allowed for these corporations to invest that extra money into wage increases and added investment into the U.S. economy. The result is more jobs, and more opportunity for everyone. The fact is that if you want a job, you can get. Not to mention the USMCA trade deal, and the likely China Trade Deal that will be made. These two, when enacted, will boost the economy even more.
Democrat's Message:
Prohibiting an economic downturn, this is going to be a hard sell for the Democrats in 2020. As we have seen, cutting taxes that primarily benefit the rich and big corporations has promoted added investment back into the economy and an influx of jobs, which in turn has created a booming economy. The Democrats have seen this, and being the savvy politicians they are, they are choosing to go into the exact opposite direction and "TAX THE RICH!!". In theory, this sounds good. Some people have way too much money, so why can't they spare some? Well, like many things that initially sound good in theory, turn out to be very destructive in the long run. Recently, New York state passed legislation taxing the rich. In a press conference after seeing the negative effects of this legislation, NY Gov. Andrew Cuomo said "Tax the rich, tax the rich, tax the rich. We did. Now, God forbid the rich leave." That is what we saw with Obama. He raised taxes on the rich, and corporations began to leave our country for greener pastures such as China and Mexico. These companies have no incentive to stay in our country when they are getting taxed heavily and have to wade through miles of red tape and government intervention. Now, Trump has reversed these policies, and now you see these huge corporations coming back and revitalizing places like Detroit. The Democrats are quite literally promising to return to Obama's policies, but in an even more drastic fashion. They plan to tax the rich in unprecedented amounts in order to pay for universal healthcare and free college, which we will address in a minute.
WINNER: Republicans. The GOP's economic policy has been proven to work and the Democrat's message is regressive and counterproductive.
Economic System Idealogy
Democrats, "Democratic Socialism":
For the first time in American history, a political party that represents half of the country favors socialism over capitalism. On August 13 of this year, a Gallup poll’s results revealed that among Democrats, 57% approve of socialism, while only 47% approve of capitalism. The economic system that has generated the world’s most robust and successful economy is now being rejected by the very country that has reaped its extraordinary benefits for over two centuries. Over the last 150 years, socialism has been implemented in numerous societies; it has failed every time and has resulted in hundreds of millions of deaths. Unlike socialism, capitalism inspires motivation in the workplace, is practical, and is more economically viable. Socialism spends money, but earns nothing. Capitalism spends some money, but earns much more.
Republicans, Capitalism:
Motivation is the general desire and willingness to do something, and it is the very thing that has made America into what it is today. Since its inception, America has provided unprecedented opportunity for all people, which has fueled the motivation shared by all Americans. This feeling of endless opportunity and limitless achievement is what separates private institutions from public institutions. There is a certain pride that is fused with the ownership of private organizations. A public institution is a mandatory service to the taxpayers that fund them, but private institutions are businesses kept alive solely by the initiative and determination of the owner. In a public school, a headmaster knows exactly how much funds the school will receive, exactly what his salary will be, and is told what to do by higher-ups in the Board of Education. In a private school, a school board has the freedom to build and grow their school, pay teachers what they want, and manage the school’s funds as if it were a business. According to the Council for American Private Education, the graduation rate for private high schools is 95%, while only 82% of students are graduating in public schools. In the same study, it was found that the average ACT score in private schools is 23.4, and only 20.3 for public schools. While public schools are at a clear disadvantage, it has been proven that private schools offer a better education. According to U.S. News, the top 50 universities in the country only include 5 public schools, and the top 20 are all private institutions. In nearly every case, it is clear that privately run institutions are more effective than public institutions, due to the differences in motivation and pride necessary to be effective.
WINNER: Hopefully for the country's sake, Republicans. I find it hard to believe a majority of Americans will reject Capitalism and embrace near socialist policies. If the Green New Deal is a mainstream Democratic policy, which one could argue, the Democrats are in a lot of trouble.
Healthcare
Democrats:
The left-leaning Urban Institute evaluated Bernie's health plan and came to the conclusion that it would cost $2.5 trillion in the first year and $32 trillion over ten years. In 2017, federal income taxes generated around $1.5 trillion. To pay for Bernie’s decade long universal healthcare plan income taxes would have to more than triple. Inevitably, Sanders will assure all of his voters that only the wealthy will be taxed. There are over 11 million millionaires living in the United States. If every millionaire’s income was seized by the government, it would only pay for one year of Bernie’s plan. If the total assets of Apple, Google, Microsoft, Facebook and ExxonMobil were confiscated by the government it would pay for only five months of the plan. These findings do not include the free college tuition imbedded in Sanders’ outlandish agenda, which could potentially cost more than universal healthcare. If a socialist plan such as this were fully implemented, it would bankrupt America and bring the world’s most powerful civilization to its knees. What is amazing is that Bernie's agenda was still fringe progressivism only a few years ago. Now, nearly all of the main candidates are endorsing all of these policies. The one thing that is keeping Joe Biden at the top of the polls is his unwillingness to pander to the far left, thereby maintaining his more moderate brand. This is likely to change, as the race to the democratic nomination will also be a race to the far left.
Republicans:
It is going to be hard for Republicans to win on this issue. In the past, Republicans have approached the healthcare in the wrong way. They have attempted to tackle this matter by issuing exhaustive and boring reports from right wing thing tanks, that are, to say the least, not very sexy. The Republicans have to roll out a healthcare plan that is practical but also has the new exciting appeal of universal healthcare.
WINNER: Right now, Democrats. Even if these policies will destroy our economy if fully implemented should a Democrat win the presidency, they are likely winning issues for the Democrats in 2020. The ball is in the Republicans court, and it is up to them as to how they will approach the healthcare question.
Immigration
Democrats:
The Democrat message to the American people on immigration is anything but coherent. During Trump's government shutdown, the Democrats clear message was this: "Trump is taking the American people hostage with this shutdown, over a manufactured crisis, to fulfill his political promises." The 'manufactured crisis' rhetoric is starting to bite the Democrats in the butt. DHS, ICE, and Border Patrol are giving facts and statistics that point to a full blown crisis on our border. In a statement a few weeks ago, Border Patrol stated that under 1,000 apprehensions a day is good day. Anything over 1,000 apprehensions is a bad day. 2,000 apprehensions is at crisis level. They then states that a few days earlier they apprehended 4,000 illegals. That is double the crisis level. They went on to say that their holding facilities are on the verge of collapse. In a typical holding facility, 4,000 illegals is about normal. 6,000 people is at crisis level. Border Patrol states that they are attempting to process 13,000 immigrants through one facility. Attempting to care for the massive overflow of illegals, agents set up fences under a bridge. These people received food, medicine, and shelter. The mainstream media headlined this as "Border Patrol putting people in cages again" The Democrats, in my opinion, want open border style policy when it comes to the border, and it is extremely dangerous.
Republicans:
Republicans want people to come into our country legally. We process over 1 million legal immigrants a year, far and away the most in the world. The Republicans recognize over and over again the real problem with immigration: the broken laws. Our current laws are basically this: Any non-Mexican illegal immigrant apprehended by Border Patrol can then claim asylum. There is no concrete requirement to be eligible for asylum. Asylum means that, by law, Border is required to feed, house, give a court date, and release the immigrants into the mainland. Commonly referred to 'catch and release', this practice is largely seen as a massive loophole by foreigners. It's simple, the Republicans wan't to fix the bad laws.
WINNER: Republicans. Republicans have a clear message, the Democrats do not.
The Republicans seem to be winning on the issues that matter. Why is that Trump's approval numbers are so low? (42%). It may have to do with Trump's style, which are turning off many suburban women and independent voters.
2020 is going to be very interested. If the Democrats can somehow surface a candidate that satisfies the far left, while maintaining a moderate stance on the key issues, then Trump should watch out. It is a very fine line that the Democrats must walk. We will see, but right Trump needs to win in 2020, or our country is in big trouble.
Thanks for reading. I am a senior in high school so any pointers in my writing would be much appreciated.
Will
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