The Democratic Majority Is Doomed: The entitlement mentality can't survive a weak economy.

Wall Street Journal ^ | 03/01/2013 | Pete Du Pont

[SeekAndFind]

Many argue the coalition that elected and re-elected Barack Obama represents a long-term shift in the electorate that will determine elections and public policies for generations. Some of commentators think conservatives have lost their relevance, and the Republicans are about to go the way of the Whigs.

It's an interesting theory, but of course it's wrong. Politics, like much in life, tends to move like a pendulum, shifting back and forth around equilibrium. While the liberal Democratic coalition is ascendant now, a few decades ago people were speaking about the decline of the Democrats. More recently, leftists took to calling themselves "progressives" to avoid what was seen as the pejorative term "liberal." And just over two years ago, the Democrats took a drubbing in the midterm elections. Today, with the real-time flow of unfiltered information via blogs, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, etc., and more Americans self-identifying as independents and able to shift their support rapidly to either party, lasting coalitions will be difficult to maintain.

But the primary reason today's liberal Democratic coalition will fade is because the very policies it pushes sow the seeds of its own destruction. The coalition can survive over time only by allocating slices of our nation's economic pie in a way that favors and placates its constituent members. But people, being human, will continually want larger slices of our economic resources, so continued success in placating those members, while at the same time adding the necessary new members, requires a continuing and ever-growing economy. A flat or shrinking economy will never generate the resources needed to feed the coalition.

Yet the White House and congressional Democrats are working to stifle economic growth.

[billorites]

I’ve been listening to the same argument from both Presidents McCain and Romney.

[popdonnelly]

It’s not a problem for the Democrats. You have to remember that they lie.

[omni-scientist]

I’ve been saying this for some time. From some republicans I hear the contradictory assessment:
1) The democrats have assembled an entitlement coalition of more than 50% of the population to continually elect their members, for generations to come
2) The welfare state is unsustainable for more than a decade.

So how do you square a situation that will collapse before the beneficiaries achieve their goal?

[latina4dubya]

The Democratic Majority Is Doomed: The entitlement mentality can't survive a weak economy.

we are doomed... a weak economy cannot survive an entitlement mentality...

[nascarnation]

As long as the “markets” let the fedgov spend $1.40 for every $1.00 of revenue by creating Baraqqi/Bernanke/Lew minibucks, entitlements will continue to flow.

The whole country is like that family in 2007 riding a wave of false prosperity based on maxxed out credit cards and helocs on a house with negative equity. Instead of two leased luxury SUVs and a McMansion, we have vote buying entitlements.

[Proud2BeRight]

Decades of socialist indoctrination and dumbing down children in gov’ment skools, expansion of the parasite base, and the destruction of morals, ethics, motivation, self-responsibility, family, and manhood has created a permanent DemocRat majority.

[bimboeruption]

You’re quick...and funny too.

Thanks for the laugh.

[umgud]

The Democratic Majority Is Doomed:

I really want to believe this, but there are some dynamics today that weren't there in the past.

[nascarnation]

All my logic tells me you are correct.
It’s depressing but hard to avoid that conclusion.

[Secret Agent Man]

they are betting they can turn the entire middle class into the entitlement class. tanking the economy is doing that.

[Lancey Howard]

It's an interesting theroy, and I think he may be onto something.

The Democrats can keep their base of moochers fat and happy for only so long. Human nature being what it is, the moochers will continue to want more more more from the Democrat politicians who buy their votes using the tax dollars they confiscate from normal, working, traditional American families ("Republicans").

That is, sticking with the status quo just won't do for the moochers - - the amount of "free stuff" they get must increase year after year. They believe they "deserve" annual increases in their "free stuff" as payback for their loyalty in voting for the politicians who give them their handouts, just like working people expect annual pay increases from their employers as a reward for their reliability, loyalty, and increased skill at their jobs. Well, the moochers want a raise, too.

But current economic conditions - - and the resulting decrease in revenue coming into the government - - won't allow any increases for the moochers and so, the theory goes, enough of the moochers will turn their backs on their Democrat benefactors to open the door for the Republicans to net more wins. It's not that the moochers will vote Republican - - heavens, no - - but they may not be bothered to go to the polls if their Democrat politicians have to tell them (with palms up), "Sorry, you'll just have to make do with what you're already getting."

[GladesGuru]

Entitlement mentality, AKA “Gibsmedat” mentality most assuredly will survive until the death o the small minds in which it is so deeply embedded.

What may well not survive an economic crisis will be the Constitution and the Republic.

[GladesGuru]

“So how do you square a situation that will collapse before the beneficiaries achieve their goal?”

You have described a situation akin to poorly adapted parasites which kill their host.

[ClearCase_guy]

Karl Marx thought that widespread immiseration would help bring about a communist revolution.
The Cloward-Piven strategy is based on overwhelming the system as a way of causing communist revolution.

Obama is implementing an old, existing theory.
It may be that the practice is harder than the theory (such is usually the case), but so far the theory is being upheld in practice. The number of poor increase, and the number of people clamoring for more immiseration also increase.

[tet68]

So how do you square a situation that will collapse before the beneficiaries achieve their goal?

I believe that’s called a Ponzi scheme.
Only those at the top achieve their goal.

[Tea Party Terrorist]

At the end of the days, the fundamental laws of the universe will prevail: You can’t eat your cake and have it too. You cannot have a fast horse and a full bucket of oats. You cannot have a full belly and a full cupboard. There’s no such thing as a free lunch.

[Cringing Negativism Network]

We need to stand up as Americans strongly, against both parties it would seem, and bring back US jobs now.

Now.

Our budget surplus cannot continue this way.

[Bernard Marx]

So how do you square a situation that will collapse before the beneficiaries achieve their goal?

You do it by telling whopper lies to the dumbed-down low-information voters and blaming the collapse on the other party. That's the way Democrats operate. I was born during the Great Depression and all my life I've heard Democrats blame Hoover for FDR's disastrous socialist policies. Just observe how Obama and his mini-Me Carney operate on a daily basis. I think Pete DuPont's great but he's whistling past the graveyard on this.

[ROCKLOBSTER]

You cannot have a fast horse and a full bucket of oats. You cannot have a full belly and a full cupboard.

Oh sure you can.

First you get two buckets of oats, you give one to the horse and then take the empty bucket, get enough food to fill the cupboard and the bucket, and then eat what's in the bucket.

Viola!