re: "Conservatism" has to be more than just a defensive posture

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We have to maintain our GDP while drastically cutting spending (which will, in turn, lower GDP, creating the need for more cuts).

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Explain how this achieved with the current makeup of our ever evolving electorate? Sounds like a pipe dream to me, and you wouldn't even discuss going to the root cause of these issues.

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It wasnt going to cover the 18trillion in debt he held at the time.

Trump was "growing the economy" the same way Obama and Joe are "growing the economy" Debt during times of full employment.

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No one is going to change it, until something is done with the monopoly the MMTers have on the media. Because anyone who tries will be crucified.

So our options are to do something about the corrupt, monolith media, or stand behind "muh principles" and do nothing

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Explain how this achieved with the current makeup of our ever evolving electorate?

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See my original posts in this thread (Hint: it's not, even from "conservatives").

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nd you wouldn't even discuss going to the root cause of these issues.

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entitlements like Social Security

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We have to maintain our GDP while drastically cutting spending (which will, in turn, lower GDP, creating the need for more cuts).

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You understand this is paradoxal right? Cut spending and you cut GDP. There’s a reason we calculate economic growth this way. What we really need is to grow the private sector and to stop crowding out new loan growth to small and medium sized businesses. Which is not going to happen.

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You understand this is paradoxal right? Cut spending and you cut GDP.

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which will, in turn, lower GDP,

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Yes, I understand.

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What we really need is to grow the private sector

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Already covered, with napkin math.

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Not really possible. Do the math and calculate what sort of GDP increase we will need (assuming no extra government spending and a return in taxers of 20% of GDP).

Every $100B in tax growth will require $500B in private sector GDP expansion. Our current deficit is $1.6T, so just to get even (ignoring the debt), our private sector GDP will have to increase what, $8T?

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You can basically use your stance on the Covid response in March 2020 as a proxy for who’s conservative and who isn’t.

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It started with "15 days to slow the spread."

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You’d have to completely eradicate banking regulations to achieve it. I don’t think that’s in the realm of realistic considering who writes the regulations.

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Yessir.

Those in power are greedy, those who vote them in power are under educated. Sounds like a perfect recipe for hyperinflation sometime soon.

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Theres no one running for POTUS close to that. Its a wasted election.

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I beg to differ. If Joe Biden wins the election, it is wasted.

If Donald Trump wins, there is a chance that this election will be the best thing that has happened to America in a long, long time. It has been a long time since anyone with the power and the desire to effect the changes that conservatives want. Is Donald Trump the guy to do that?
I don't really think so, but I think he can set the table for those that will.

There is a reason we don't see conservative changes - the Republican establishment doesn't want secure borders, lower taxes /spending, less regulation, and smaller government. Sure, there are people in Congress who want these things (or claim to, at any rate), but Massie and Paul will never get close to the Presidency or any place else where they have a bully pulpit that will make people stand up and listen to them. They won't be allowed.

Say what you may about Donald Trump, but he doesn't like the establishment, ESPECIALLY after what they have done to him. He is the ONLY guy running for President who MIGHT spend a considerable amount of time exposing corruption and hypocrisy both in and out of the party. Just the fact that a bunch of RINOs are resigning from Congress is good news.

IMO, taking 4 years to tackle a corrupt bureaucracy is worth putting some of the absolute conservative principles on hold for a while - things we wouldn't get otherwise. The corrupt bureaucracy loves Joe Biden. They don't even have to convince him to go along with their agenda. He just does what they tell him to do. Trump would not and Trump would question our motives about money and policy. Hell, he got impeached for questioning where the money we sent to Ukraine was being spent. And that was before the war with Russia.

A vote for Trump gives at least some hope that we can expose how our government works (or doesn't work). Will he be successful? No one knows, although I think you think you do. But I can guarantee you this - another Joe Biden Presidency not only will NOT result in any conservative policy being implemented, but will also strengthen the corrupt establishment's stranglehold on DC.

When will we see an outsider willing to take on the establishment again? I doubt it will happen in my lifetime...

In comparison to the present, Bush and that crop of Republicans look very much mainstream conservative.

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You need less tax base not more if you capture 5-7% return from an investment portfolio.

Currently the government steals from ss ponzi at us treasury rates which don't even keep up with inflation.

To some degree greater than zero, you can tax people the same, offer them the same pension, and dig out of the hole strictly because you're getting an actual return on the funds.

The key is to unlock compounding returns.

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Even if we are to assume you're correct, that would take decades to see fruits, let alone make a difference. It won't work.

Maybe if Reagan had started this in the 80s