But there's always been a fatal flaw in the theory: deficits. Unlike the administrations of Reagan and George W. Bush, where exploding deficits were an inconvenient truth, Paul Ryan enters the stage as a Republican who says he will make deficit reduction a central new cause of the party. He has put forth a budget — again worth reading Ezra Klein's analysis — that not only includes massive new tax cuts, but huge cuts in social programs and future — not current — entitlements. The Romney-Ryan budget, and this will be the heart of Obama's attempted take-down of Ryan, also will explode the deficit, because, once again, the math simply does not work. You cannot cut taxes, hold current entitlements harmless, raise defense spending and balance the budget, no matter how much you cut non-defense discretionary spending. There simply isn't enough of it — less than 15 percent of the budget.
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But here's why I like the pick of Ryan. At least he has an idea, however misguided and derivative. Maybe we can finally have a real discussion of the Republican agenda. And maybe, too, Democrats will be forced to discuss their alternative in greater detail. Let's have it out.
What can one say about stuff like this?