I really think the major differences would be no health care reform and no Detroit bailout so GM is gone with Ford facing an uncertain future with no neighboring auto companies able to share the burden of maintaining the associated infrastructure. Maybe more stimulus in terms of revenue lost but not much more in results since it would be tilted more heavily toward the less efficient tax cuts. Politically the Democrats wouldn’t have to share the responsibility for the Wall Street bailouts and would now hold the House and Senate with McCain a sitting duck in November. Next year when the Dems have complete control they still compromise with themselves and end up with the half-assed health care reform with no public option. We end up about where we are now (except Detroit is worse) and maybe the Dems repeal DOMA or something to give social liberals something to distract them from the reality that they are supporting the other corporate stooge party.
You base this belief on what? The decrease of the deficit and national debt that occurred under the last three Republican administrations?
A doper would pose the question “What if Obama won instead of McCain?” Most responses claim:
Unemployment would be at 3-4%.
We would have UHC by 2012.
Massive bailouts would have the economy and housing market at pre-2008 levels.
We would be out of Iraq and Afghanistan by 2012.
Not a lot of difference. Obama is basically a Reagan Republican.
Imaginary responses to an imaginary situation.
Who would imagine it?
Wait, what?! They already tried that. How would a McCain Admin have made any difference?! We had this discussion when it was going on; any foreign intervention would only have had a rally-'round-the-flag effect and shored up the government.
I disagree. The debt would be spent on military. McCain is a strong supporter of military.
I believe unemployment would have tracked similarly. However, McCain would be gungho in the Middle East, and support Syrian involvement. This would open a lot of opportunity for unemployed to enlist. They would do so because they need benefits and income.
This board is heavily liberal. The board I moderate is heavily conservative. It is interesting to see the dynamics. Being a middle of the road kind of guy, I enjoy seeing the different perspectives.
Active military service is not counted as “employed” by the U.S. Department of Labor. Soldiers (or sailors, marines, etc) are excluded from the statistics entirely. If you recruit someone you take them off the “unemployed” side of the ledger (as long as they were classified as unemployed before) but you don’t add them to the “employed” side.
Any realistic expansion of the armed services would have very little noticeable effect on unemployment, as is quite obvious if one just examines the math. At last report the unemployment rate was 8.1%, which comprises 12.5 million Americans out of work who want to work. Realistically, even a major expansion of the armed services would be, what, 300,000 people? The Army can only absorb so many people at once, after all. Even if we were to assume every one of those 300,000 people was unemployment before signing up - which of course absolutely would not be the case - you’d be reducing the unemployed to 12.2 million instead of 12.5 and changing the official number of people employed by zero. So the unemployment rate would go from 8.1% to… about 8.1%.
Woooo.
No, the increase of the deficit and national debt that occurred under the current Democratic one.
Regards,
Shodan
I, for one, would not be here having drowned in my tears at the prospect of Palin with power.
Then wouldn’t the increase of the deficit and national debt that occurred under the previous three Republican administrations also be evidence?
What would show is Unemployment Claims would drop. And, as I said before, people would have income and health care. This would slow the foreclosures, and it would have provided a healthier banking industry.
As I said, I do believe unemployment would track about the same. For example. If I got laid off, I could not enlist. Im 4F. However, my children could (my DD25 served in Iraq).
If, as I premised, McCain would have taken a more military approach, the need for more troops would have been a key. I could easily see McCain sweetening the deal for people to join.
So while DOL stats would remained pretty much consistent, the number of people making claims on unemployment would drop
We would feel smarter as a nation because we wouldn’t have to hear from ‘birthers’ all the damn time.
Did you miss the part of the Republican convention when they nominated some goofy chick named “Sarah Palin” to be VP? You think she’d be quieter? The horror … the horror …
Sure, as long as you recognize that Obama increased the national debt more in three years than Bush did in eight. So, assuming McCain did the same as previous Republican administrations, instead of the current Democratic one, the deficit and the national debt would not be as high as they are now.
Regards,
Shodan
The country would coast on its own as McCain spent half his time trying to shoo Palin out of his chair in the Oval Office and the other half interviewing new food tasters.
The vice-president’s “gaffes” would be far more entertaining.
Still seems implausible. It’s like looking at the historical record of Democratic and Republican Presidents and concluding that if McCain had been elected he would have raised taxes. It’s not impossible but it goes against history. And by the same token, if you go back through the last forty years Republican Presidents historically have increased the deficit more often than Democratic Presidents. So based on history, we should assume McCain would have increased the deficit and national debt more than Obama has done.
No, the amount by which Obama has increased the national debt and deficit is unprecedented. There is no reason to assume McCain would borrow and spend at nearly the levels Obama is doing.
Regards,
Shodan
Bullshit…no that’s inadequate… BULLSHIT. Simply put first of all McCain himself is not a creationist and Courts won’t allow it (it didn’t happen under Bush) and McCain is sympathetic to illegal immigrants. Your ideas are even more laughable than ralph124c’s.