General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Heads-Up !!! - 'Why Democrats Might Cave On Social Security Cuts' - HuffPo [View all]joshcryer
(62,297 posts)She was playing politics. And she'll continue to do so. And it's bullshit. Take a stance, Hillary! I'm merely saying we don't know what she'll do. It's likely she backs something like Chained-CPI. Who knows. We don't know. In fact, her failure to take a stance on Social Security is seen as evidence by many that she plans to run. Keep her opinion to herself. "Adapt" as the situation desires. Don't take a stance and keep a low profile (we saw what a trainwreck being "high profile" was in her last campaign, trumpeting BS that never happened, like the sniper fiasco).
Obama's preferred position on Social Security is raising the cap. But he still insists on putting everything else on the table. He should state, outright, that he won't accept anything other than raising the cap. He should make it clear. There are no veto-proof majorities. If he made this abundantly clear then we could get a solution that is simple, that Bernie Sanders advocates, that every progressive policy center supports. Just raise the cap, no big deal. It's so trivial it's a joke. It would only affect the top 5%-10% or so (a tax hike on them). It's not a losing strategy. The voting population wouldn't even feel it or care.
I personally hope the shutdown and debt ceiling crisis makes him realize fighting and taking a strong stance is a good idea. I'm actually concerned about a Hillary Clinton presidency for the exact opposite reason. She's been Secretary of State for so long and she's been bipartisan for so long she might have shed her earlier partisan views. She might even be more willing to cut Social Security and Medicare than Obama! It's insane, how this could turn out.
If Obama takes a stance, here, now, on Social Security, if he insists on raising the cap, he will leave office with a legacy never before seen in our history. Social Security is unsustainable in the long run without raising the cap (even Chained-CPI is unsustainable, it kicks the can down the road for awhile, but eventually it'll come up again). It's not really an issue that needs to even be addressed for 20-25 more years, but since it's been brought up, take the correct stance!
Obama and the Democrats have gained a tiny bit of capital. Capitalize on it!