Mortgaging Our Future

One of the biggest Republican talking points is personal responsibility. Why? Because there is a strong tradition in this country of taking ownership for your actions and this value resonates with a wide variety of people.

While Republicans take advantage of this value, Progressives miss many opportunities to show that they are also a party of responsibility. The biggest missed opportunity is the economy. Neo-conservatives, rather than raising taxes, continue to borrow money to finance the government. This strategy of borrowing on credit has lowered the value of the dollar and hurt our economic position in the world. Progressives should call this “credit card debt” and talk about how we are “mortgaging our future.” By explaining these actions using everyday themes people understand, the average family would better understand the impact of our national debt. Because if the time ever comes where we need to pay, we’re going to have to sell the Corvette and just about everything else we have.

Progressives should highlight fiscal responsibility and spending within our means. This is a winning vision instead of the “tax and spend” label that constantly gets attached to the Democratic party. And, instead of just staying on the defensive, we should attack the “credit card debt” mentality of our government.