A blast from the past: 1980 presidential debate

[scottcsmith]

Here's something funny Ronald Reagan said:

http://www.debates.org/pages/trans80b.html

MR. STONE: Yes. Governor, we've been hearing that the defense build-up that you would associate yourself with would cost tens of billions of dollars more than is now contemplated. Assuming that the American people are ready to bear this cost, they nevertheless keep asking the following question: How do you reconcile huge increases in military outlays with your promise of substantial tax cuts and of balancing the budget, which in this fiscal year, the one that just ended, ran more than $60 billion in the red?

MR. REAGAN: Mr. Stone, I have submitted an economic plan that I have worked out in concert with a number of fine economists in this country, all of whom approve it, and believe that over a five year projection, this plan can permit the extra spending for needed refurbishing of our defensive posture, that it can provide for a balanced budget by 1983 if not earlier, and that we can afford - along with the cuts that I have proposed in Government. spending - we can afford the tax cuts I have proposed and probably mainly because Mr. Carter's economic policy has built into the next five years, and on beyond that, a tax increase that will be taking $86 billion more out of the people's pockets than was taken this year. And my tax cut does not come close to eliminating that $86 billion increase. I'm only reducing the amount of the increase. In other words, what I'm talking about is not putting government back to getting less money than government's been getting, but simply cutting the increase in in spending.

A balanced budget by 1983? Sorry, Ronnie. Actually, in 1983, we had a deficit, of almost $200 billion dollars.

[Old and In the Way]

1. Yes, the original "cut taxes and increase spending" Republican.

You'd think people would remember the lies from 25 years ago, but we seemed doomed to repeat the same mistakes over and over and over.......

[Sandpiper]

2. Ah, Voodoo Economics

Tax Cuts + Increased Spending = Balanced Budget :crazy:

[Deja Q]

3. Coming from a guy who had said ketchup was a vegetable...

A frigging braindead lunatic was elected. Twice. Speaks volumes for the American public, doesn't it?

And that's ~25 years ago.

Look at *. The fact he has a popularity rating over 30% is atrocious.