Republicans and Chris Christie

Chris Christie isn’t running for president. He actually had a chance to save the Republican Party. He refused to run because when the presidential candidates were asked whether any of them would accept a budget deal and they all said no and the Republican Party officially became a danger to itself and to the country. The G.O.P. announced that it would not be a partner for the Grand Bargain. This bargain would simultaneously boost the economy and optimism by its economic logic and the mere fact of the two parties working together. 

 Obama is moving away from this bargain. Him trying to respond to the G.O.P. this close to election time was a bad idea. Alan Simpson and Erskine Bowles made a plan that would cut the dent by $3.9 trillion by 2020. Obama didn't support this plan and by making his watered-down version of it, he created a chance for Republicans to take advantage. If Christie would have ran, then the country would win in the election because  the candidates would have been fighting against each other for chance. Instead, the country loses either way.

 

1. How does Friedman feel about Republican taxing and spending policies?

 He thinks the party has become a danger to itself as well as the country

2. What would the Grand Bargain be?

something that provides more near-term investment in the economy that spurs job growth, combined with a credible long-term plan to increase tax revenues and trim entitlement

3. What are the implications of lower government spending for the future?

lower spending today means lower taxes tomorrow

4. What are the implications of refusing to raise taxes for the future?

a high and rising commitment to future taxes

5. What has been Obama's response to the Republican plan?

moving away from entitlement reform and embracing multiple tax increases on the wealthy

6. Is that a good repsonse leading up to an election?

 no it was a huge mistake

7. What was the Simpson - Bowles deficit reduction plan?

through raising tax revenues, cutting defense and increasing the age at which people would qualify for Social Security and Medicare

8. Which groups is this likely to anger?

  old people

9. Because Obama has not embraced the bargain, what opportunities do Republicans have?

 a sane candidate can embrace the bargain and send Obama back to the center

10. Why was Christie so appealing for the general election?

he seemed ready to tell hard truths that Obama has started to shrink from

11. How does Friedman say that the race has changed because there's no Christie and Obama has a new approach?

the whole country is going to lose because the winner will not have had a mandate for the real change we need

12. How would you describe Friedman's political views based on the article?

 He is in favor of raising tax revenues, cutting defense and increasing the age for Social Security and Medicare, the bargain proposed by Simpson and Bowles.