At this week’s tea party event in Plattsburgh, Conservative Republican Doug Hoffman promised unflinching courage in the fight to cut government spending and lower taxes.<\/p>\n
“I’m not going to be concerned with whether I get re-elected or not, or whether Republicans support me for the next campaign or not.\u00a0 What’s right for you is more important than a career for me.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
This really gets to the crux of the conservative movement’s dilemma.<\/p>\n
Americans say they want smaller government and lower taxes, but threatening to actually cut popular programs has proved to be the kiss of political death in many campaigns.<\/p>\n
So far, Mr. Hoffman has offered broad philosophical commitment to cutting government, but added very few specific examples of how he would do it.<\/p>\n
Indeed, speaking with NCPR, he has suggested that Social Security, Medicaid, Medicare, and defense spending are “off the table” for substantial cuts.<\/p>\n
Yet those programs alone threaten to swallow the entire Federal budget, with nothing left over for things like education, roads and the environment.<\/p>\n
Most economists agree that balancing the budget will be well nigh impossible without slashing popular entitlements.<\/p>\n
It’s important to note that Mr. Hoffman’s fuzziness on this question is shared by his primary opponent, Matt Doheny, and by Democratic Rep. Bill Owens.<\/p>\n
All three agree that Federal spending, taxes and the deficit are major issues in this campaign; but their specific proposals for dealing with the problem remain incredibly thin.<\/p>\n
But Mr. Hoffman is offering himself as a different sort of politician, a straight-talker who doesn’t mind upsetting people with some tough medicine.<\/p>\n
So where’s the tough medicine he’s been promising?<\/p>\n
At yesterday’s event, Mr. Hoffman announced that his campaign is preparing a “position paper” that will outline specific details of his proposals.<\/p>\n
“We’re going to have to make hard choices.\u00a0 When revenues decrease, expenditures have to decrease.\u00a0 We have to find ways to do that.\u00a0 Everybody in this room, and across the 23rd\u00a0 district, and America knows that in their heart.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
It is, obviously, a risky commitment.\u00a0 When Mr. Hoffman presents his ideas, they are likely to mean real pain for someone.<\/p>\n
After all, that flood of government dollars flows to paychecks and doctor payments and rent subsidies.<\/p>\n
The other politicians in this race are likely to pounce.\u00a0 That is, unfortunately, the way our politics work.<\/p>\n
But before anyone criticizes Mr. Hoffman, we will urge them to come forward with realistic, substantial ideas of their own for wrestling with America’s growing debt.<\/p>\n
(Or, if they think the debt isn’t a big deal, we’ll urge them to offer detailed explanations as to why.)<\/p>\n
The bottom line?\u00a0 Voters should all be skeptical of all the ideological theory, and the gotcha stuff.\u00a0 We need nuts-and-bolts proposals from all three candidates.<\/p>\n
Hopefully that will come sooner rather than later.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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