[dragontamer]

But all the true fiscal conservatives have basically been kicked out of the Republican party.

Liz Cheney for speaking out against Trump. Paul Ryan for compromising too much. Jon Huntsman for having adopted Chinese kids.

I too am a fiscal conservative who largely identifies as Republican. Alas, it's very hard for me to say that today's Republicans represent me. No one actually tries to balance the budget and it's all about incredible social wars that kind of doesn't matter. (Like complaining about the number of lesbians in modern cartoons or whatever).

The fiscal conservatives that speak up fail the Republican purity test and are consistently kicked out. Literally all of them.

The few remaining fiscal conservatives have converted into cult of Trump, like Graham, to keep their voters placated.

[cjbgkagh]

Wouldn't Rand Paul count as a fiscal conservatives who hasn't been kicked out? And how is Liz Cheney a fiscal conservative? Granted that I don't know enough about US politics to be sure - but isn't Dick Cheney super corrupt. I'm not sure if fiscal conservativism counts if the government is saving money on social programs so they could send it to Halliburton instead.

It's impossible to ask one side to balance the budget without punishing the other side for not balancing the budget. The voters just don't care. The connection between poor policies and their consequences are so drawn out that they've practically been severed.

[dragontamer]

> Wouldn't Rand Paul count as a fiscal conservatives who hasn't been kicked out?

Rand Paul is more of an isolationist libertarian. America First was really his slogans, before Trump made it cool. Alas, its becoming more obvious that he's a stooge for the Russians these days.

> It's impossible to ask one side to balance the budget without punishing the other side for not balancing the budget.

Name one time under Republican rule that the budget became more balanced. It literally has never happened in our lifetimes.

Regan cut taxes and raised the deficit. Bush cut taxes and raised the deficit. Trump cut taxes and raised the deficit. They're the party of tax cuts, not of fiscal responsibility.

Fiscal Conservatism is just a talking point for Republicans. Actually, it ain't even a talking point anymore. There's nothing fiscally conservative about "build a wall and make Mexico pay for it", complaining about gay people on TV, or anything going on with Dilbert (bringing us back to topic).

Dilbert, the comic strip, is simply a reflection of today's conservative sphere. Republicans want a culture war, that's their #1 focus.

[cjbgkagh]

I just thought your list of fiscal conservatives to be quite odd. And isolationist would be more fiscally conservative when compared to the expense of running a world empire.

I'm not here defending Republicans, I consider both parties to be controlled by big businesses.

My point is the electorate isn't going to vote for proper fiscal conservatives so it's a bit ridiculous to expect politicians to be fiscal conservatives. Maybe if the US dollar loses the reserve status and the connection between policy and consequence tightens then maybe after an economic disaster the public may want fiscal conservatism.

[dragontamer]

> My point is the electorate isn't going to vote for proper fiscal conservatives

My point is that fiscal conservatives don't exist. You have one side just cutting taxes, and the other side ballooning the budget. But at least the other side raises taxes and kinda sorta gets closer to balance.

[Eupraxias]

Have they ever really existed in relevant numbers? Is fiscal conservatism more of a guiding concept than a flag?

It is a guiding principle for conservatives - humans who, like everyone, also have other guiding principle which often conflict and force compromise.

The Right thinks it is focused on the less moderate Left, which makes for a less moderate Right, which makes for a less moderate Left, while the moderate Left thinks it is focused on the less moderate Right, which makes for a less moderate Left, which makes for a less moderate Right, which makes some want to shake it all about.

[eropple]

> Wouldn't Rand Paul count as a fiscal conservatives who hasn't been kicked out?

Rand Paul happily soaks up district money while performatively voting against things that help other people and in 2021 signed onto a deal to hand Israel a bunch of money for Iron Dome. If he's a "fiscal conservative", I am the Queen of France.

[mbg721]

Rand certainly isn't Ron, but, like the rest of the country, he's in a situation where voters have to choose between 2+2=4.75 and 2+2=purple.

[eropple]

If you listen to him talk, he's the purple guy.

[Eupraxias]

Yes, and do you see how roughly the same thing can be said about the Democrat party, in that most people have a hard time identifying with either party? At the end of the day, people flip to 1 or 0.

Would it be far from the truth to say that we've just been through two election cycles in which Republicans who voted for Trump probably didn't "support" Trump, and Democrats who voted for Clinton or Biden probably didn't "support" either?