What happens when Obama and Boehner walk up to the edge of the "fiscal cliff"?

[kentuck]

Do they jump off together? Or do they come to some compromise?

Both sides are started to wring their hands about the disaster that awaits us. However, it might be instructive to remember what they said when Clinton raised the tax rates in 1993? Every Republican voted against it with warnings that it would destroy our economy. Remember?

Similar warnings are coming from the Republican Party this time also. Many Democrats have also bought into the argument. We cannot help but lose millions of jobs and slide back into a double recession, they say. They are stirring up the fear quite effectively.

But, maybe it will not be such a bad thing if the markets see (as if they have these human qualities) that the deficit is finally being addressed? Maybe it will be a good thing once the short-time fears are not realized?

But this is the discussion going on behind closed doors in Washington. Who will be the first to blink and fold his hand?

[MannyGoldstein]

1. The poor, elderly and infirm get thrown off the cliff

If Obama's starting position is, as he's said, $2.50 in spending cuts for every $1.00 in new revenue, then a lot of people will be in deeper trouble than they are now, and an end to this depression is nowhere in sight.

[awake]

2. what is wrong with jumping

we will go back to the tax plan of Big Bill's that we had in 1999, we will "have" to cut defense spending by 500 mil. with no cuts to medicare benefits only cuts in providers costs. At that point government revenues will go up the deficit will go down and defense budget cut. Obama will be in the cat bird seat during the lame duck session no mater the makeup of congress, the more of congress we can control the better we all will be. I for one am not worried about this cliff it is not near as bad as the one Bush drover the country over in 2008

[MiniMe]

3. Boehner will be trying to push Obama off the cliff.

The repugs will try to help him by starting impeachment proceedings. That assumes that Obama will win the election.

[bluestate10]

4. There are signs.

That when President Obama is re-elected, republicans will drop some of their demands on taxes in order to save some things they want. The assholes had no morals and no reason to make a deal since 2010. Our job as voters is to paint republicans into as small a corner as possible by eliminating a large number of their members on November 6th. With a weakened presence, republicans will have no choice but to cut a deal that is finally beneficial to the american people. I would love to see democrats holding every House and Senate seat, but that is not going to happen. Majorities in both bodies are possible and if Harry Reid change Senate rules to get rid of the 61 vote rule, progress can be made with crafting legislation to deal with the host of pressing problems that face our nation.

[HopeHoops]

5. Hopefully Obama will be behind him.

[flamingdem]

6. Being gentlemanly

[HopeHoops]

7. Well, then all it would take is rMoney to say, "Hey, you're black. You know 'The Bump', right?"