In a word, yes.
At the end of the day I don’t suspect the political will exists to actually do anything besides applying the FICA tax to higher and higher levels of income.
My guess is YES. Presidential elections are about promising MORE FREE goodies not taking them away. Speaking of entitlements, how about the cutting of FICA/SS tax while still promising the benefits? That one’s a gem. No one pays. Funded by an imaginary trust fund.
I never liked the specifics (10 year delay/2 separate classes based on age ) in the Ryan plan, but in general entitlements are a hot rail of politics. And Republicans getting grief over voting for the Ryan plan even with that gimmick used the defense :”It’s just a proposal to start the conversation. It’s not a budget”. And liberals are mad that Democrats even claim they would consider entitlement cuts, yelling at Debbie Wassman Schultz at a rally.
And most ‘cuts’ in the debt extension are delayed till the next congress.
Democrats know they will lose our next election if they have to defend Obama’s first term.
Therefore, Democrats will do whatever they can to make that next election a referendum on “Death to Granny”.
Republicans should not take the bait.
Hopefully, Republicans will state that, when Obama’s job-killing initiatives are reversed, the economy will start growing again and that, as a resuilt, “Granny” won’t have to give up a thing!
There will be no talk of entitlement reform, in fact the Republicans will portray themselves as champions of entitlements less they be demagogued by the Bolsheviks as throwing granny over the cliff. The Republicans will do nothing to endanger their standing with the entitlement electorate. They will talk of strengthening entitlements to make it viable in the future, in a vague way that will leave real reform open.
How about we do a few things first ?
Stop ALL public assistance to illegal aliens.
Eliminate the Department of Education.
Cut the EPA 90%, and get rid of 90% of their rules.
Why not start there ?