Republican leaders may have finally drawn the proverbial line in the sand. Rather than continue to "negotiate" with Democratic leaders to kick the debt can down the road and simply ignore the country’s unmanageable debt problem, the GOP appears to be prepared to let mandatory spending cuts take effect. The initial reaction from most analysts and the mainstream media is that letting the cuts happen will be political suicide for many GOP lawmakers. And while that may be the case, those same leaders likely realize that they have even less to gain by continuing to give in to tax-and-spend policies.
Many Republican lawmakers now find themselves in a situation where they have very little left to lose, so they are willing to roll the dice in the hopes that making difficult decisions with a clear intent to help the country might prove to be a risk worth taking. Ironically, it was President Obama who was believed to be in a position of leverage, since he’s in his final term and won a convincing victory in the 2012 election. What has emerged instead is a situation where the GOP has been strengthened by the realization that it’s better to go all-in on reducing the deficit than to continue playing a losing game with Democrats.
It remains to be seen how the final days before sequestration are going to play out, but if the Republicans stick to their guns and the cuts actually happen - there could be a seismic shift in the political landscape. Most Americans are more than willing to reduce military spending if it will help to get the nation’s debt under control and - theoretically - reduce the need for future tax increases. Those most likely to be hurt by discretionary spending cuts related to sequestration were unlikely to be GOP supporters to begin with. If the GOP allows the cuts to happen - and they don’t turn out to be as bad as advertised - then the Republicans might have found a shortcut back to relevance in U.S. politics.
Many Republican lawmakers now find themselves in a situation where they have very little left to lose, so they are willing to roll the dice in the hopes that making difficult decisions with a clear intent to help the country might prove to be a risk worth taking. Ironically, it was President Obama who was believed to be in a position of leverage, since he’s in his final term and won a convincing victory in the 2012 election. What has emerged instead is a situation where the GOP has been strengthened by the realization that it’s better to go all-in on reducing the deficit than to continue playing a losing game with Democrats.
It remains to be seen how the final days before sequestration are going to play out, but if the Republicans stick to their guns and the cuts actually happen - there could be a seismic shift in the political landscape. Most Americans are more than willing to reduce military spending if it will help to get the nation’s debt under control and - theoretically - reduce the need for future tax increases. Those most likely to be hurt by discretionary spending cuts related to sequestration were unlikely to be GOP supporters to begin with. If the GOP allows the cuts to happen - and they don’t turn out to be as bad as advertised - then the Republicans might have found a shortcut back to relevance in U.S. politics.
