Requiem for ‘Hope and Change’
By Tom Quiner
Donald Trump can and will find common ground with Republicans on tax reform.
I believe even some Democrats will fall in line. Nothing will give a quicker boost to the economy and jobs than tax reform.
Even more, Mr. Trump and Republicans will begin the process of undoing the web of job-killing regulations imposed by President Obama and Democrats which, by some metrics, increased by 79% in the manufacturing sector alone.
Is it any wonder jobs and corporations have fled our shores for friendlier environs during the Obama years?
If Trump and Republicans tend to these two issues immediately, our country’s economic fortunes and Republicans’ political fortunes will rise.
But no matter how successful the economic turnaround of America, Mr. Trump cannot succeed in the eyes of American liberalism. Do you remember how the poverty rate plummeted in the 80s after Reaganomics lifted us out of the recession he inherited? Liberals lashed back by calling the 80s the ‘decade of greed.’
It didn’t matter that fewer people were poor.
Under Trump, I expect the same: the rich will get richer, much richer, but so will working class Americans whose wages have stagnated during the Obama years. Once unshackled from oppressive, counter-productive regulations and taxation, the manufacturing sector will be poised to rebound.
I expect the poverty rate, which has relentlessly risen during the Obama years, to finally reverse course and decline.
I expect the labor participation rate, which is at its lowest level since the Carter presidency, to finally begin to climb as jobs begin to be created faster than businesses close.
None of this matter to American liberalism, which is based on feelings not fact. Michelle Obama made this clear in her interview with Oprah Winfrey. Oprah asked if Michelle thought Barack produced the “hope” that is presidency was “all about.” Michelle said yes:
“Yes, I do. Because we FEEL the difference now … See, now we are FEELING what not having hope FEELS like, you know. Hope is necessary. It is a necessary concept . . . What do you give your kids if you can’t give them hope?” [Emphasis mine].
Feelings are what count, not facts.
Notice that there was no reference to the ‘change’ part of Mr. Obama’s mantra. An honest analysis of the nation’s economic metrics, a few of which I touched upon above, reveal that Obama’s change has been a lower standard of living for American’s middle class.
Even more, the federal bureaucracy is more intrusive and adversarial than ever before, especially to people of faith who have been repulsed by Obama’s idea of ‘change.’
Donald Trump can never, ever succeed in the eyes of liberal elite. You know what’s great about Trump? He doesn’t care what they think.
Job-killing regulations. Can you name any?
Benjamin Zycher in The Hill drew readers’ attention to one regulation, so I looked at the cost-benefit analysis. It would require an up front investment of £30bn, but (taking into account up front costs v. later benefits) save billions of gallons of fuel at a cost of 40c per gallon. It would also act as a non-tariff barrier, preventing imports of trucks not conforming to US regulations. Oddly enough, Zycher did not draw attention to these benefits, instead choosing to mislead readers about how the claimed benefits would be realised. I explain in more detail on my own blog.
http://thehill.com/blogs/pundits-blog/energy-environment/310335-trump-nominee-scott-pruitt-will-clean-up-the-epa
Can you name a single regulation, and show how it kills jobs?
Hi Clare: Great to hear from you. I guess Obamacare has been the biggest job-kller. It created incentives to shift full time workers to part time. And it had a disproportionate impact on small business, who are typically the biggest job creators. The result: the lowest labor participation rate since the Carter presidency. Today, we have 117 million full-time workers in our economy compared to 118 million when he took office, a net loss of one million jobs, despite the fact that we have 25 million more people living in this country. Overregulation has a price tag: fewer jobs. Don’t get me wrong, there is a place for regulations, but there has to be a cost-benefit analysis first. Thanks for writing. Merry Christmas!
I fear any analysis of this would be partisan. I found, “Small businesses have increasingly stopped providing health benefits to their employees over the past decade due to the ever-rising cost of health care premiums. The rising costs don’t effect larger firms hiring processes. ObamaCare helps to regulate insurance making it more affordable to small businesses increasing job retention rate and making those jobs more attractive.”
All I know is that Obama said the ACA would cut average premiums by $2500 across the board; they didn’t, instead they’ve gone up by $3800. Mine have more than doubled. He said we could keep our current coverage; that ended up being a lie to many, and he knew it was a lie (as Jonathan Gruber was caught on tape admitting). He said we could keep our current doctor. Again, not so for many. Again, thanks for writing, Clare.
Health care is not a good topic for you to debate on. Almost the whole developed world has universal health care, with better results at lower prices than the US. Remember “I was sick, and you took care of me”?
And, merry Christmas to you and those you love.
Of course the rich get richer. Anyone that takes basic accounting and econ classes understands the money multiplier. The first million is the hardest. It gets easier afterwards b/c of the access to loans and credit that come when one is no longer broke. The rich will get richer under any gvt. that isn’t Stallinist or Mauist. I want a POTUS who will allow the middle class and the working poor to progress as well. That is almost NEVER a dem. I would not expect a business man to keep my salary up while his costs go up. I’d like it, but NOT expect it. The big gvt plan always runs over the little guy as he doesn’t have access to the lawyers,credit and investors needed to overcome regulations. There was a reason the federal gvt was tasked w/ a very limited number of things in the founding documents. The ability to make/ break others is very empowering and enriching. I dont care if multimillionaires b/c billionaires if I can get another step up the ladder w/ my family. If the rich dont make $$$, no one else does either. As jobs b/c scarce and wages anemic, I didn’t see the oligarchs experience ANY problems. When mfg. giants can make a lot, the worker can make some too.The leader of the union in Mexico receiving the Carrier jobs even stated that w/o the investor, there are no jobs. I wish the silly progressives here got that. Every time we get a progressive POTUS, we get this type of economy. The question should be “Did the middle class get a raise?”, not if the rich got richer…of course they did, and if not? Everyone else suffered. I don’t know what Ms. Obama is talking about. Everyone I know is feeling more hopeful than in 8 years. She should leave the clouds now and then and talk to people that dont believe in unicorns.
Sorry, She just really irked me. I should write her a nice long letter and not write an epic novel here. Am I forgiven?
No forgiveness required on my part, that’s for sure. You merely speak the truth. Merry Christmas!
Dear Clare,
Not having insurance is one thing but not having a job is another entirely. People have managed to live decent lives w/o insurance for most of human history, but w/o a job or adequate hours on a job, it;s very hard to take take care of the every day basics of life for one’s family. Ask someone if they can eat an insurance card or use it to keep the kids warm in Winter. The ACA gave people very expensive cards that came w/ even more expensive deductibles. That is to say until one spends a tremendous amt of $$$, they really don’t have coverage. Maybe to you 8-10K is not a lot to have to pay out of pocket before that card is actually doing anything for you, but most of us losers in the economy of late have a terrible time even imagining trying to come up w/ 10K for care after paying 7-8K in premiums. If you one of those getting a mo payment of $200/mo. Someone else who is just getting by month to month is paying for the difference in that wonderful low premium. Their kids are doing w/o things they need to make sure that another can go to the doctor for every little sniffle. The rest of the world also decides what care one will get when one is ill. America has always had the highest rate of surviving severe illness and extreme trauma. As a medical professional of some 28 yrs., I know that even the homeless/penniless are treated in the hospital (private rooms typically) if they require it or it is even thought maybe required. Rest well knowing that you have lived in the country w/ the care the rich of other nations have long come to for their cures. Merry Christmas!