[AdieuToLogic]

> Haven't republicans been campaigning on reducing govt spending for like 50 years?

Not really. There is a political strategy Republicans have engaged during this time known as "Two Santas" which can explain it:

  First, the Two Santas strategy dictates, when Republicans 
  control the White House they must spend money like a 
  drunken Santa and cut taxes to run up the U.S. debt as far 
  and as fast as possible.
  
  This produces three results: it stimulates the economy thus 
  making people think that the GOP can produce a good 
  economy; it raises the debt dramatically; and it makes 
  people think that Republicans are the “tax-cut Santa 
  Clauses.”
  
  Second, when a Democrat is in the White House, Republicans 
  must scream about the national debt as loudly and 
  frantically as possible, freaking out about how “our 
  children will have to pay for it!” and “we have to cut 
  spending to solve the crisis!” Shut down the government, 
  crash the stock market, and damage US credibility around 
  the world if necessary to stop Democrats from spending 
  money.
  
  This will force the Democrats in power to cut their own 
  social safety net programs and even Social Security, thus 
  shooting their welfare-of-the-American-people Santa Claus 
  right in the face.[0]

0 - http://www.milwaukeeindependent.com/thom-hartmann/two-santas...

[rukuu001]

Ha! That's great.

The opposite of that play is:

Voted-in Conservatives: we are the party of fiscal responsibility. We shall reduce govt spending by running services into the ground.

Voted-in Libs: We were voted in to undo all this f*kery... gotta spend those $$$

Conservatives: Didn't we say you can't trust those libs with the $$$?

For the record - I think society needs both parties alternating in power to function properly. Either one in power forever is a mistake

[AdieuToLogic]

What you describe is the insidious effect of repetitive use of the "Two Santas" strategy:

> Voted-in Conservatives: we are the party of fiscal responsibility.

Conservatives are provably not. See[0].

> Voted-in Libs: We were voted in to undo all this f*kery... gotta spend those $$$

This is a common misperception, fostered in large part by the effectivity of the "Two Santas" political strategy.

0 - https://www.investopedia.com/us-national-debt-by-year-749929...

[rukuu001]

Oh I very much agree the cons are bad at money. Just talking about what they say.

[dgb23]

Except that is inaccurate. With the exception of the Biden admin, Republicans have been increasing the national debt at a _much_ higher rate.

Both private and public dept have been rising rapidly since the 70/80's and the introduction of neoliberal policies. Real wages have stagnated, so Americans go into debt. Tax cuts for the rich, so the US has to borrow.

[rukuu001]

Yes I agree with that.

I’m just talking about what they say rather than reality.

I’d have edited for clarity but I missed the window.

[blitzar]

> With the exception of the Biden admin

The last year in office Trump was spending $8 trillion a year and Biden left office spending $6.7 trillion.

[dgb23]

Yes, but it would be dishonest to claim that only Republican admins drastically increased the deficit. Biden is an exception. I’m not comparing him to Trump either.