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Chris's avatar

i cannot disagree with your assessment of President Biden's debate performance. However, you said nothing about Trump's lies (e.g., grocery prices have doubled and tripled, "everyone" wanted abortion returned to the states, etc.). Ross Douthat has said that Trump is morally unfit for the presidency. Do you disagree with Peggy Noonan that Trump is a chronic liar? If so, why? If you agree, is it okay?

Regarding a paradigm shift: what we have is half of a paradigm shift, while there is actually doubling down on the other half of the old paradigm (pre-Trump Republican orthodoxy). At the debate Trump bragged about eliminating more regulations than anyone else. Not only was the 2017 tax cut pure pre-Trump Republican orthodoxy; there was little justification for it in a strong economy. If, as you have said, corporate profits have gone through the roof in the past 50 years, why did we need a massive corporate tax cut. From 2016 through 2019 the federal deficit increased by 68 percent. If deficits are going to increase in a strong economy, it is hard to imagine how fiscal responsibility will ever be established. Trump's relative lack of interest in the deficit is, once again, typical of the pre-Trump Republican orthodoxy. So, there is a completely new paradigm on trade and immigration, but very much the old paradigm on deregulation, tax cuts, and inattention to deficits.

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Michael Magoon's avatar

Glad to see that you are on Substack. I look forward to reading your articles.

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