The GOP used a Two Santa Clauses tactic to con America for nearly 40 years

[yaesu]

In fact, Republican strategist Jude Wanniski’s 1974 “Two Santa Clauses Theory” has been the main reason why the GOP has succeeded in producing our last two Republican presidents, Bush and Trump (despite losing the popular vote both times). It’s also why Reagan’s economy seemed to be “good.”

First, when Republicans control the federal government, and particularly the White House, spend money like a drunken sailor and run up the US debt as far and as fast as possible. This produces three results – it stimulates the economy thus making people think that the GOP can produce a good economy, it raises the debt dramatically, and it makes people think that Republicans are the “tax-cut Santa Claus.”

Second, when a Democrat is in the White House, scream about the national debt as loudly and frantically as possible, freaking out about how “our children will have to pay for it!” and “we have to cut spending to solve the crisis!” This will force the Democrats in power to cut their own social safety net programs, thus shooting their welfare-of-the-American-people Santa Claus.

https://www.salon.com/2018/02/12/thom-hartmann-how-the-gop-used-a-two-santa-clauses-tactic-to-con-america-for-nearly-40-years_partner/

[StClone]

1. Please Spread this far and wide

Many Americans, let alone Dems, have known we have been played and conned for a good 40 years with this playbook.

[RANDYWILDMAN]

2. It's a god dam shame...

That the R's keep doing it and people more and more each time keep falling for it.

[CrispyQ]

3. I had not heard of the two Santa theory.

I hope dem leadership reads this. I hope someone on Biden's team reads this.

[KS Toronado]

4. We should spend money like a drunken sailor for the next four years, no problem....

Just tax the hell out of incomes over $400,000 and large corporations and we'll have all the money we
need to act like drunken sailors but we'll be paying for it as we go, and show voters how an economy
is supposed to work. Bush had his war on terror, we could have a " War on Money Hoarders "
Truth be known, our billionaire class could probably pay off our deficit if they wanted to. Let's force them.

[mitch96]

7. +1works for me!

[uponit7771]

11. 👍

[Captain Zero]

13. Right. Quit borrowing from the rich and instead, Tax the Rich

nt

[KS Toronado]

5. The Occupy Wall Street movement slowly died, let's revive it.

[HUAJIAO]

6. Do you take your 'screen name' from the area on the east side of Tokyo Station?

[mitch96]

8. Or a ham radio mfg?.....nt

[yaesu]

14. The reply is right, its a favorite radio manufacturer of mine, been using their products for decades

[andym]

9. Since most middle class taxpayers pay thousands of dollars in taxes

and they don't realize how much they might be getting back in benefits or they don't care because they think so much of it is going to others, then the GOP argument sells well with many.

[Zoonart]

12. And that argument is called....

the other guy (Black, Brown, Immigrant, Unmarried mothers, Jewish, unworthy) is getting your doughnut.

[andym]

17. The more "foreign' /"other" the person is, the more unworthy they may be to some,

especially to these Republican voters. But keep in mind that for many are so self-interested they won't even support their own siblings getting something that they don't-- I certainly know a few of these people.

[Zoonart]

18. Sadly, so do I.

[AllaN01Bear]

10. they have been doing this over 50 years , wanting to gut ss , ssi ,ssd , food stamps ,

hand that over to states , then counties and religious faith based. org. they have been doing 2 santa clausees for years .

[ffr]

15. T---- and the drunken spending GOP ran up nearly 1/3 of ALL of America's debt in 3.5 years

But wait! They're not done yet.

[RainCaster]

16. The correct response is to agree with them, then kill all the tax cuts they put into place

That is the only way to deal with those a-holes. Shove it right back in to their faces.

[colsohlibgal]

19. It Is Maddening

This tactic depends on the stupidity of a large segment of our people. We always seem to have an ample supply of them.