If tax cuts create jobs, why didn’t the Bush tax cuts work?
On-point question by the National Journal’s Beth Reinhard. Newt blamed the timing for its failure to work. (Reposting because it’s a good quote and Tumblr’s acting weird tonight.)
Same answer many have for Obama’s stimulus failure to create job growth NET losses in 2008: timing. Which tips exactly the line of attack Newt will have if he’s the nominee. Namely, that timing obscures the economic result of policy, so you should pick the policy prescription that conforms with your (ostensibly anti-government) prejudices.
The problem here is that both candidates will be forced to acknowledge the relative inability of government to mend labor markets in the short run. That’s a point in the favor of anti-intellectualism. If neither candidate presents a powerful case for their policies, closely-held anti-government superstitions will fill in the blanks.
(Source: shortformblog)
