# What did conservatives get for two years in control of the government? (Aside from a big tax cut) **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [January 24, 2019, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-conservatives-get-for-two-years-in-control-of-the-government-aside-from-a-big-tax-cut/828348 "2019-01-24T20:26:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2019, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-conservatives-get-for-two-years-in-control-of-the-government-aside-from-a-big-tax-cut/828348/41 "2019-01-26T00:03:26Z")
> [@Sitnam](#): > > But there ARE constituents who wanted to build this wall, where was their outrage these past two years at that lack of progress on this thing. Does this answer your question? > [@Ancient\_Erudite](#): > > Trumps’ tax cuts will save the middle class to working class at least a $1,000.00. When you consider what they have in their account balance, that is a significant amount of money for them. > > During his tenure, North Korea is no longer firing missles above Japan, and taking about denucleratzation, and China appears to be willing to balance out our trade deficit a bit. Trump and his team have all successfully negotiated the new United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement. > > He also moved our embassy to Jerusalem, which is where it should have been for our key ally. > > So it’s not just tax cuts for the rich. As others have mentioned, he has transformed the supreme and federal courts. > > The economy, in general, has done well under Trump > > Liberals hate him because he’s accomplished a great deal in a short amount of time. > > Unless I miss my guess, he will build his wall and improve border security one way or another. Trump’s base just accepts whatever their leader chooses to tell them. If he says he’s doing a great job then they believe a great job is being done. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2019, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-conservatives-get-for-two-years-in-control-of-the-government-aside-from-a-big-tax-cut/828348/42 "2019-01-28T00:09:44Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Trump’s base just accepts whatever their leader chooses to tell them. If he says he’s doing a great job then they believe a great job is being done. He doesn’t have to say anything. We can see taxes are reduced, the economy is up, unemployment is reduced, North Korea stopped firing missiles over our allies, NAFTA was renegotiated, China is renegotiating trade agreements, the Chinese postal subsidy is going away, he’s trying to open up ANWR to drilling, gas prices are down, previous regulations are getting rolled back. These things happened in the first 2 years despite tremendous push-back from all sides and it’s scaring the Democratic Party because he pulled Black and Hispanic voters away from them. What they got in return for voting for him are jobs. They remember Obama saying we can’t drill our way to lower gas prices and jobs are not coming back. The days of tax cutting/job protecting JFK Democrats are dead. It’s the economy stupid. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2019, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-conservatives-get-for-two-years-in-control-of-the-government-aside-from-a-big-tax-cut/828348/43 "2019-01-28T01:39:32Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > He doesn’t have to say anything. We can see taxes are reduced, the economy is up, unemployment is reduced, North Korea stopped firing missiles over our allies, NAFTA was renegotiated, China is renegotiating trade agreements, the Chinese postal subsidy is going away, he’s trying to open up ANWR to drilling, gas prices are down, previous regulations are getting rolled back. Wow, I have to admit that’s pretty impressive. I certainly can’t see any of those things. I can’t even see into ultraviolet. I’m pretty much limited to normal human vision. In fact, I wouldn’t even know what things like the economy or the unemployment rate or international trade looked like, even if I had your supervision. I’m stuck with just reading about these things in the media. And that’s also where I find out about the things Trump says. I’ve never met the man so I can’t say that I personally know what he says. And the President himself has said (so I’m told) that a lot of the stuff that we hear is just fake news. So when I read that Donald Trump says that he’s doing a great job and then I read that everyone else says Donald Trump isn’t doing a great job, I can’t rely on a power like yours and just look out and see what’s true for myself. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2019, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-conservatives-get-for-two-years-in-control-of-the-government-aside-from-a-big-tax-cut/828348/44 "2019-01-28T02:07:44Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Wow, I have to admit that’s pretty impressive. I certainly can’t see any of those things. I can’t even see into ultraviolet. I’m pretty much limited to normal human vision. In fact, I wouldn’t even know what things like the economy or the unemployment rate or international trade looked like, even if I had your supervision. > > I’m stuck with just reading about these things in the media. And that’s also where I find out about the things Trump says. I’ve never met the man so I can’t say that I personally know what he says. And the President himself has said (so I’m told) that a lot of the stuff that we hear is just fake news. > > So when I read that Donald Trump says that he’s doing a great job and then I read that everyone else says Donald Trump isn’t doing a great job, I can’t rely on a power like yours and just look out and see what’s true for myself. The economy is doing well unemployment is at historic lows. Taxes are reduced. NAFTA was renegotiated. Trade with China is being renegotiated. The postal agreement with China is being renegotiated. N Korea has radically changed it’s behavior to the point they walked with S Korea in the Olympics. If you are unaware of what’s going around you that’s on you. Denying it happened is pointless. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2019, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-conservatives-get-for-two-years-in-control-of-the-government-aside-from-a-big-tax-cut/828348/45 "2019-01-28T02:47:37Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > We can see taxes are reduced Well, for some people, specifically for rich people, but [not for the rest:](https://www.brookings.edu/blog/up-front/2018/10/16/the-middle-class-needs-a-tax-cut-trump-didnt-give-it-to-them/) > [@](#): > > Everybody is not better off from the recent tax cuts, which have only served to increase the federal budget deficit—now $779 billion for FY 2018 according to new data released by the Treasury Department. To be sure, the middle class gets help temporarily, but over the longer run, the middle class will be worse off. > [@Magiver](#): > > the economy is up, unemployment is reduced All of which has been basically just [continuing the trend under Obama](https://www.npr.org/2018/09/12/646708799/fact-check-who-gets-credit-for-the-booming-u-s-economy). > [@](#): > > Job growth has been remarkably consistent since the end of the recession in 2010. The 3.6 million jobs added in the 19 months since Trump took office are roughly comparable to the 3.9 million added in the previous 19 months under Obama. Likewise, unemployment has steadily declined. And wages have inched up at a slow but steady pace. > > On a graph of any of these metrics, the period before Trump took office is virtually indistinguishable from the period since. > [@Magiver](#): > > North Korea stopped firing missiles over our allies But only someone as gullible as President Trump would assume that that represents any serious change of direction in [North Korea’s nuclear policies and goals](https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/north-korea-launched-no-missiles-2018-isn-t-necessarily-due-n949971). > [@](#): > > However, many experts point out that although the eye-catching weapons displays may have ceased, other more subtle parts of North Korea’s weapons program continue apace. Tests are only part of the story. […] > > This transition from testing to production should come as no surprise — it’s exactly what Kim told the world he would do at the beginning of the year. > > In his New Year’s Day address, Kim claimed that his scientists and engineers had completed all the trial runs they needed. Now, he said bluntly, “the nuclear weapons research sector and the rocket industry should mass-produce nuclear warheads and ballistic missiles.” > [@Magiver](#): > > NAFTA was renegotiated And [not to the US’s advantage.](https://www.economist.com/leaders/2018/10/04/the-renegotiation-of-nafta-is-a-relief-but-it-is-not-a-success) > [@](#): > > Having solved a crisis of his own making, the president is taking a victory lap, hailing “an amazing deal for a lot of people”. That is accurate only according to Mr Trump’s misguided protectionism (see article) . Although the new pact does contain improvements to NAFTA, taken as a whole it is a step backwards for free trade. As a result, it will harm America. > [@Magiver](#): > > China is renegotiating trade agreements Which also [hasn’t been good for most Americans](https://www.cnbc.com/2018/12/11/trade-deal-with-china-could-be-elusive-until-bitter-end-of-negotiating-period.html). > [@](#): > > About half the recent stock market sell off is because of the trade conflict, said Ethan Harris, head of global economic research at Bank of America Merrill Lynch. “Farmers have been upset for a while. It probably did hurt Republicans in the midterms. The trade war is starting to show some cost to the U.S. […]” […] > > Many U.S. economists have factored a full blown trade war into their outlook for next year, and if there is no resolution to the trade issues, growth is expected to slow to below 2 percent in the second half. > [@Magiver](#): > > the Chinese postal subsidy is going away There I agree with you that **if** [the Trump administration manages to resolve this without stupidly pulling out of the UPU altogether](https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2018-10-18/trump-is-right-on-china-s-postal-subsidy), it will have been a genuine accomplishment. Not that the average member of Trump’s base is likely to have given a rat’s ass about the Chinese postal subsidy during the past two years or even known what it was, mind you. > [@Magiver](#): > > he’s trying to open up ANWR to drilling Which remains a stupid idea, but admittedly it’s one of the many stupid ideas that Trump voters are in favor of. > [@Magiver](#): > > gas prices are down I like how Trump supporters can argue at the same time that it’s great that fossil fuels are so cheap and that it’s a great idea to launch a hugely expensive far-north ANWR drilling program because fossil fuels are so expensive. > [@Magiver](#): > > previous regulations are getting rolled back Which also is [unlikely to be good for most Americans](https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/10/05/climate/trump-environment-rules-reversed.html). > [@](#): > > All told, the Trump administration’s environmental rollbacks could lead to at least 80,000 extra deaths per decade and cause respiratory problems for more than one million people, according to a separate analysis conducted by researchers from Harvard. That number, however, is likely to be “a major underestimate of the global public health impact,” said Francesca Dominici, a professor of biostatistics at the Harvard School of Public Health. I agree that many Trump voters are likely to view Trump’s policy shifts as positive accomplishments. But that’s mostly because many Trump voters are ill-informed and/or stupid. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2019, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-conservatives-get-for-two-years-in-control-of-the-government-aside-from-a-big-tax-cut/828348/46 "2019-01-28T03:45:16Z")
> [@Kimstu](#): > > Well, for some people, specifically for rich people, but [not for the rest:](https://www.brookings.edu/blog/up-front/2018/10/16/the-middle-class-needs-a-tax-cut-trump-didnt-give-it-to-them/) that’s simply not true. [It’s not like tax rates are a secret.](https://www.thebalance.com/trump-s-tax-plan-how-it-affects-you-4113968) > [@Kimstu](#): > > All of which has been basically just [continuing the trend under Obama](https://www.npr.org/2018/09/12/646708799/fact-check-who-gets-credit-for-the-booming-u-s-economy). It was stagnant under Obama and he ran up a huge deficit in the process. > [@Kimstu](#): > > But only someone as gullible as President Trump would assume that that represents any serious change of direction in [North Korea’s nuclear policies and goals](https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/north-korea-launched-no-missiles-2018-isn-t-necessarily-due-n949971). WOW. I like the “it’s not necessarily because of Trump line. The mark of a hit-piece article. It’s obvious to anyone in the region there has been a significant change in N Korea’s demeanor. > [@Kimstu](#): > > And [not to the US’s advantage.](https://www.economist.com/leaders/2018/10/04/the-renegotiation-of-nafta-is-a-relief-but-it-is-not-a-success) it’s purpose is to retain jobs. > [@Kimstu](#): > > Which also [hasn’t been good for most Americans](https://www.cnbc.com/2018/12/11/trade-deal-with-china-could-be-elusive-until-bitter-end-of-negotiating-period.html). If you’re unaware of what China has done [to favor their own trade there really isn’t any point discussing it.](https://thediplomat.com/2018/05/why-china-wont-abandon-its-controversial-trade-policies/) > [@Kimstu](#): > > There I agree with you that **if** [the Trump administration manages to resolve this without stupidly pulling out of the UPU altogether](https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2018-10-18/trump-is-right-on-china-s-postal-subsidy), it will have been a genuine accomplishment. China’s postal agreement was done at a time when they were considered a developing country. They’ve been using it against us at tax payer expense. > [@Kimstu](#): > > Not that the average member of Trump’s base is likely to have given a rat’s ass about the Chinese postal subsidy during the past two years or even known what it was, mind you. I’ve known about for years as do my friends. More importantly Congress and past presidents knew about it and did nothing. > [@Kimstu](#): > > I like how Trump supporters can argue at the same time that it’s great that fossil fuels are so cheap and that it’s a great idea to launch a hugely expensive far-north ANWR drilling program because fossil fuels are so expensive. If it wasn’t cost effective they wouldn’t do it. In the past the objective was to gain access to areas close to the current Alaskan pipeline. It’s just common sense. But unlike Obama who said we couldn’t drill our way to lower fuel prices it turns out we can, and did. We’re now the number one producer of oil in the world. > [@Kimstu](#): > > I agree that many Trump voters are likely to view Trump’s policy shifts as positive accomplishments. But that’s mostly because many Trump voters are ill-informed and/or stupid. All the ones I know have degrees in the hard sciences and are most likely better informed and smarter than you. But what counts are the Democratic voters who got jobs. More crossover votes for the next election. ---
**Author:** ![flurb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/51bf81/32.png) [@flurb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flurb)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2019, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-conservatives-get-for-two-years-in-control-of-the-government-aside-from-a-big-tax-cut/828348/47 "2019-01-28T04:10:16Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > There’s also deregulation and government contracts. It’s also important to realize that the way in which he overturned several late-era Obama regulations makes it much harder for a future Democratic President to reenact them. Specifically, fourteen Obama rules were repealed through the [Congressional Review Act (CRA),](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Congressional_Review_Act) which allows Congress to repeal a rule or regulation through a joint resolution (which requires the President’s signature) within 60 legislative days. The CRA also states that the agency cannot reissue the same rule or a substantially similar rule unless specifically authorized to do so by new legislation. So if a future President wanted to revive these regulations, he or she would presumably need a Democratic House and 60+ votes in the Senate to overcome a filibuster. ---
**Author:** ![puddleglum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puddleglum/32/137_2.png) [@puddleglum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puddleglum)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2019, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-conservatives-get-for-two-years-in-control-of-the-government-aside-from-a-big-tax-cut/828348/48 "2019-01-28T17:57:57Z")
> [@Sitnam](#): > > So you’re saying a bill to build the wall WAS put forward years ago and it failed to get the votes? I don’t remember that, please fight my ignorance. No, there is no way a bill that could be passed by the Senate could make it through the house and/or be signed by Trump. Thus the Senate has not gone through the trouble of passing a new bill because if they did they would be attacked on the bill during the next election. So neither house really considers legislation unless there is a chance that it will become a law or they feel that it will be popular with their voters. Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act of 2013 was the last attempt to do immigration and border security and it proved so unpopular that the House ended up killing it before it could get signed. The unpopularity of it spooked many Republicans and what they would accept now is different. ---
**Author:** ![Chisquirrel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6bbea6/32.png) [@Chisquirrel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chisquirrel)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2019, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-conservatives-get-for-two-years-in-control-of-the-government-aside-from-a-big-tax-cut/828348/49 "2019-01-28T19:33:32Z")
This: > [@Magiver](#): > > It was stagnant under Obama and he ran up a huge deficit in the process. with the corresponding “I reject your cites and substitute none of my own but what I believe in my head”, followed by this: > [@](#): > > All the ones I know have degrees in the hard sciences and are most likely better informed and smarter than you. is laughably false. ---
**Author:** ![postpic200](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/54ee81/32.png) [@postpic200](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/postpic200)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2019, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-conservatives-get-for-two-years-in-control-of-the-government-aside-from-a-big-tax-cut/828348/50 "2019-01-28T22:22:33Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > I was thinking about the current government shutdown and it occurred to me, “Why now?” The republicans have been in complete control of the government for two years. If they wanted a wall then it was trivial for them to get a wall. Not a thing democrats could do to stop them. Even when they knew they’d lose the House…no wall. Instead they waited till the new congress was seated and then _poof_…a crisis and we need a wall NOW! Shut down the government till they get it!! > > Which then lead me to wonder, what other things on a conservative’s short list did they get for two years in complete control of the government? Tax cuts leap to mind but they seemed really short on other policies they (supposedly) hold near and dear: > > - Abortion? Nothing. > - Gun rights? Nothing. > - Shrink the government? Nothing. > - State rights? Nothing. > - Kill the ACA? Mostly nothing (hobbled it). How many votes to repeal it were held before they had complete control? More than 50 I think. > - Decrease regulations? Maybe something here but not from congress…instead left to cronies put in charge of various agencies > > I’m probably missing others. Feel free to add. That is just a start. > > So, have I missed it all or did republicans mostly ignore their supposed wish list of things they tell us they want done? A lot of fun watching left explode and fracture, cry, and melt.😃 ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2019, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-conservatives-get-for-two-years-in-control-of-the-government-aside-from-a-big-tax-cut/828348/51 "2019-01-28T22:47:55Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > The economy is doing well unemployment is at historic lows. Taxes are reduced. NAFTA was renegotiated. Trade with China is being renegotiated. The postal agreement with China is being renegotiated. N Korea has radically changed it’s behavior to the point they walked with S Korea in the Olympics. > > If you are unaware of what’s going around you that’s on you. Denying it happened is pointless. So when Donald Trump says he did something and that it was a great thing, then you accept it as a fact. But when anyone else says that Trump didn’t really change anything or that what he did made things worse, then that’s Fake News. I’m standing by what I said earlier: _Trump’s base just accepts whatever their leader chooses to tell them. If he says he’s doing a great job then they believe a great job is being done._ ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2019, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-conservatives-get-for-two-years-in-control-of-the-government-aside-from-a-big-tax-cut/828348/52 "2019-01-28T22:53:09Z")
> [@Ancient\_Erudite](#): > > The median savings account balance across American households is $4,500. And when you have a median that’s considerably lower than the average, it means that most people have less than the average. > Trumps’ tax cuts will save the middle class to working class at least a $1,000.00. When you consider what they have in their account balance, that is a significant amount of money for them. > > During his tenure, North Korea is no longer firing missles above Japan, and taking about denucleratzation, and China appears to be willing to balance out our trade deficit a bit. Trump and his team have all successfully negotiated the new United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement. > > He also moved our embassy to Jerusalem, which is where it should have been for our key ally. > > So it’s not just tax cuts for the rich. As others have mentioned, he has transformed the supreme and federal courts. > > The economy, in general, has done well under Trump > > Liberals hate him because he’s accomplished a great deal in a short amount of time. > > Unless I miss my guess, he will build his wall and improve border security one way or another. You have no idea what liberals think. Trust me. We dislike Trump because he is incompetent, authoritarian, hates democracy, corrupt, criminal and treasonous. We also really dislike his policies (plutocratic deregulation and cutting back the social safety net and minority protections). If you honestly think liberals dislike Trump because of how competent he is, I have no idea what to tell you. That is like asking someone to debate whether the sky is brown. If we can’t agree on basic facts, there isn’t much to debate. Also the tax cuts for the rich were made permanent, while tax hikes on the working class were put in (to get the bill to pass via reconciliation). So the GOP raised taxes on the working class, they are just hoping that a future congress renews the cuts. And Obama gave a very nice tax cut to the working class in the stimulus when he cut the social security payroll tax from 6.2% down to 4.2%. A tax the republicans wouldn’t renew (and a tax hike which many republicans blamed on Obama) The economy is doing well mostly due to Obama’s leadership and his efforts to shrink the deficit and lead competently. We knew it was only a matter of time before Trump fucked it up, and his government shutdown will probably lead to a recession. So Trump coasting on Obama’s accomplishments until Trump’s incompetence fucked everything up (which it is starting to do) doesn’t impress us. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2019, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-conservatives-get-for-two-years-in-control-of-the-government-aside-from-a-big-tax-cut/828348/53 "2019-01-28T22:57:50Z")
> [@postpic200](#): > > A lot of fun watching left explode and fracture, cry, and melt.😃 When I picture the face of the right wing, [this is what I see](https://images.gawker.com/18k4pgeogm7tgjpg/c_scale,fl_progressive,q_80,w_800.jpg). ---
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2019, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-conservatives-get-for-two-years-in-control-of-the-government-aside-from-a-big-tax-cut/828348/54 "2019-01-28T23:02:35Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > When I picture the face of the right wing, [this is what I see](https://images.gawker.com/18k4pgeogm7tgjpg/c_scale,fl_progressive,q_80,w_800.jpg). [Meh](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrWzBg475Q8) ---
**Author:** ![Chisquirrel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6bbea6/32.png) [@Chisquirrel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chisquirrel)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2019, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-conservatives-get-for-two-years-in-control-of-the-government-aside-from-a-big-tax-cut/828348/55 "2019-01-29T03:00:51Z")
> [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > [Meh](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrWzBg475Q8) You could have at least linked to Colbert’s teary monologue on Election Night 2016. Ya know, to at least go with the “well-known political voice” vibe of Glenn Beck. This is just weak. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2019, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-conservatives-get-for-two-years-in-control-of-the-government-aside-from-a-big-tax-cut/828348/56 "2019-01-29T03:26:50Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > I’m standing by what I said earlier: _Trump’s base just accepts whatever their leader chooses to tell them. If he says he’s doing a great job then they believe a great job is being done._ And I’m standing by what I said earlier. My taxes are lower, the economy is in good shape and unemployment is at record lows. I’ve been bitching about the postal agreement with China long before he was elected. He’s the first one to address it. North Korea’s stopped firing missiles over Japan. I support the same wall that Pelosy supported. I’ve supported the extension of the Alaskan Pipeline into ANWR long before he was elected. We remember getting screwed over by ACA. We remember being told we couldn’t drill our way to lower fuel prices. We remember being told it was unpatriotic to raise the national debt by 4 trillion dollars. We remember these things because the internet allows us to go back and reply all the stupid nonsense that politicians use to sweep under the rug with media support. It’s pointless to try and downplay how well he’s done and downright stupid to try and denigrate his supporters. ---
**Author:** ![sbunny8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c77e96/32.png) [@sbunny8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sbunny8)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2019, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-conservatives-get-for-two-years-in-control-of-the-government-aside-from-a-big-tax-cut/828348/57 "2019-02-01T00:15:19Z")
The President can take some actions which will help or hurt the economy slightly. But 90% of what the economy does has nothing to do with the President. If you disagree and you want to give credit to the President for making the economy better or worse then you should be thanking Obama because the economy improved a lot after he took office, and you should be unimpressed by Trump because the economy only improved a little after he took office. To anyone who says, “my taxes are lower”, I say bullshit. You don’t actually know; you just heard someone say this formula is better than that formula, and you believed them. You didn’t actually look at the formulas in IRS publication 15 yourself, let alone understand them well enough to decide which one is actually better for you. I do the payroll for all the employees at my company and I know how complicated the formulas are. Maybe you read the marginal tax rates and you thought, “hey this number is smaller than that number!” but that’s not enough to actually figure it. Maybe you looked at the total tax withheld on your 2018 W2 and you 2017 W2 and saw that the number went down. How do you know it went down because of the new tax law? How do you know it wasn’t because the bookkeeper who calculates your pay stubs made a mistake? You don’t know. You’re taking someone else’s word for it. It’s second hand information. Anyway, I don’t mind paying taxes. I just wish I didn’t have to fill out so many damned forms. In 2016, I had to fill out 61 different tax forms to run my business. Then Donald Trump got elected. Do you think the number of forms I have to fill out went down? Nope, it went up. In 2018, it’s 63 forms. I blame Donald Trump personally. See how silly that sounds? > [@Magiver](#): > > I support the same wall that Pelosy supported. Oh! That’s good to hear. So you DON’T support the ludicrous idea of a 50 billion dollar 2,000-mile long wall that would cause more problems than it solves? You actually support the fences that we built a decade ago, just a couple hundred miles in key locations, right? Because that’s what Nancy Pelosi supported. It’s nice to know that you actually disagree with Trump on this issue. I’m glad to hear that you recognize that at least some of Trump’s ideas are bad ones. Getting back to the OP, I’ll agree that the major thing they got was federal judges, especially on the Supreme Court. We won’t know the full extent of the effect for decades yet. ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2019, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-conservatives-get-for-two-years-in-control-of-the-government-aside-from-a-big-tax-cut/828348/58 "2019-02-01T04:58:25Z")
> [@puddleglum](#): > > No, there is no way a bill that could be passed by the Senate could make it through the house and/or be signed by Trump. Thus the Senate has not gone through the trouble of passing a new bill because if they did they would be attacked on the bill during the next election. So neither house really considers legislation unless there is a chance that it will become a law or they feel that it will be popular with their voters. > > Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act of 2013 was the last attempt to do immigration and border security and it proved so unpopular that the House ended up killing it before it could get signed. The unpopularity of it spooked many Republicans and what they would accept now is different. The wall. You know, the one in the news now. That only costs Americas 5.7 billion to save us from the horde of drug dealers and social welfare leaches. It was a big deal in 2016 and a corner stone of The winning candidates platform. They had the majority in the House and Senate. Why would this wall bill have failed? Please tell me. I think they only needed a majority. They had it. It wasn’t attempted. That to me says everything. ---
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2019, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-conservatives-get-for-two-years-in-control-of-the-government-aside-from-a-big-tax-cut/828348/59 "2019-02-01T05:03:22Z")
> [@Sitnam](#): > > … I think they only needed a majority. They had it. > > It wasn’t attempted. That to me says everything. Have you heard of the “filibuster” before? ---
**Author:** ![puddleglum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puddleglum/32/137_2.png) [@puddleglum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puddleglum)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2019, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-conservatives-get-for-two-years-in-control-of-the-government-aside-from-a-big-tax-cut/828348/60 "2019-02-01T16:35:37Z")
> [@Sitnam](#): > > The wall. You know, the one in the news now. That only costs Americas 5.7 billion to save us from the horde of drug dealers and social welfare leaches. It was a big deal in 2016 and a corner stone of The winning candidates platform. They had the majority in the House and Senate. Why would this wall bill have failed? Please tell me. I think they only needed a majority. They had it. > > It wasn’t attempted. That to me says everything. Median voter theory. In order to pass legislation in the Senate there has to be 60 votes to override a filibuster. There was no way to craft a bill in the Senate that could get 60 votes. They don’t bring bills to the floor that don’t have a chance to pass unless the bills are popular because to do so means that the senators have to pay the electoral cost of voting for the bill without the benefit of actually passing the bill. Because of this constraint the GOP did things which do not require 60 votes like the tax cut which was a part of a budget bill which by rule can not be filibustered and judges which Harry Reid was kind enough to remove the filibuster rule for. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-conservatives-get-for-two-years-in-control-of-the-government-aside-from-a-big-tax-cut/828348.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-conservatives-get-for-two-years-in-control-of-the-government-aside-from-a-big-tax-cut/828348.md?page=4)