You can win elections by promising to balance budgets, but as soon as you start cutting programs you get replaced by the next guy promising big buzz words with as few specifics as possible.

No argument. The problem is the GOP doesn't want to do that because they are just like Democrats in the sense that they want to keep eating and promising free lunches. America for 20+ years has been living in a government sponsored 'benefits bubble'. Everyone thinks they can get free this & cheap that and politicians have spent the farm for their votes. This is not a GOP/Democrat issue. This is a "political class" issue. There are a few glittering jewels in the mine like Christie in NJ and Chaffitz from Utah - but they are far too rare.

This is a problme that is not going to be solved unless (A) the government completely collapses or (B) voters collectively wise up and vote in a couple generations of true fiscal conservatives. This election cycle gives some very distant gleams of hope that (B) might happen - but I'm pessimistic. I think America has already reached the Alexander Tytler point of no return...

"A democracy will continue to exist up until the time that voters discover that they can vote themselves generous gifts from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority votes for the candidates who promise the most benefits, with the result that every democracy will finally collapse due to loose fiscal policy, which is followed by a dictatorship."

We see this happening right before our eyes. More wisdom - same guy...

“From bondage to spiritual faith; From spiritual faith to great courage; From courage to liberty; From liberty to abundance; From abundance to complacency; From complacency to apathy; From apathy to dependence; From dependence back into bondage.”

In my cold assessment of the American condition, the U.S. POLITICAL CLASS is firmly decided on "dependance" and is starting to push into "bondage". The American PEOPLE however, are factionalized into about 30% "liberty", 20% "complacency", 20% "apathy", and 30% "dependance". By and large most of the public falls towards the "Liberty" side but you flash enough baubles to get 21% of the complacency/apathy vote and BOOM the U.S. is running over a cliff to tyranny.

That's what happened with Obama. Only what can be described as the collective insanity of emotion based stupidity elected that doofus. If he was in ANY other country, he would already be swaggering around in a uniform with epaulettes and making everyone call him "Commandant". He's a disaster, and polls are showing that even the apathetic and complacent realize they made a horrible mistake electing that specimen.

But too little - too late I fear. I think the government is too addicted to spending, and the public too addicted to the lie of 'free/cheap' government stuff. Loose fiscal policy will collapse this great nation, and there will be a period of subseqent balkanization. At this point, I fear it is inevitable.

I'm so sick of these arrogant goons with their epaulettes and toy badges. Unfortunately it's just the beginning .