It’s a clever theft of the Republican “Better Way,” that hopeful conservative plan for getting us back on track that promised to swap out Obamacare for something better. That new deal is old business now. It will soon be a part of failed GOP history, replaced by a new urgency to fix the tax code. Not to be outdone, the enemies across the aisle recently gave us their own recipe for failure. They call it a Better Deal. We can call it a new deal for Democrats to steal.
The newest new deal is billed as a Better Deal for everyone who lost out because life isn’t fair and costs too much money. A Better Deal is tinged with bitterness and anger. It’s paranoid because it has to be. The party desperately needs people to believe that their failure to thrive is the government’s fault and that everything in life is rigged against them.
If you believe Schumer, Pelosi, and company the new deal for Democrats will finally make government your friend. Wages will rise. The cost of living will go down. You won’t be cheated by an unfair system any longer. They aren’t saying much about how this is going to be paid for, but we already know that. This is just another deal to steal.
New deal for Democrats: paranoia, anger, bitterness, and resentment
Paranoia-inducing, socialist-leaning phrases like “rules of the economy are rigged,” “concentration of economic power,” “those at the top,” and “the rich”1 built this Better Deal.
“Those at the top” should include politicians who are wealthy and on the public payroll, but in this instance we can safely assume that Democrats are not included. They are the Robin Hoods in this Better Deal, not the problem.
For a new deal this stinks like week-old fish. The promise that Democrats have our back2 was an Obama favorite. Blaming a government that benefits special interests and lobbyists3 throws stones at the party’s big glass house. Everyone wants more and better jobs, whether they are liberal or conservative.
What’s most amusing is how close the sales pitch is to what Republicans are selling.
Better Deal, Better Bargain, Better Way, and a tax plan
Same promises different day
Obama offered us a Better Bargain for the Middle Class. Republicans have a Better Way, or at least they did until last week’s repeal and replace death rattle. Now our conservative heroes are intent on sure-to-fail tax reform. They want us to know that their newest plan is:
about growing our economy, increasing people’s paychecks, and creating more jobs.4
Funny thing is that’s pretty close to what the new deal for Democrats to steal hopes to accomplish:
with the right priorities and the right vision, Democrats know that America can have unprecedented economic growth that produces better jobs, better wages, and a better future.5
Pretty close except for the angry, bitter, paranoid stench. Even in the midst of historic failure the GOP at least makes an effort to sound hopeful. That’s the problem with this new deal to steal. It’s a desperate maneuver to rekindle the resentment and fear of the future that didn’t sell last November.
Sources
1. “A Better Deal.” United States Senate Democrats. https://democrats.senate.gov/abetterdeal/#.WX8b1OmQwuV, retrieved July 31, 2017.
2. Ibid.
3. Ibid.
4. “A Pro-Growth Tax Code for All Americans.” House Republicans. http://housegop.leadpages.co/taxreform-jobs/, retrieved July 31, 2017.
5. “A Better Deal.” United States Senate Democrats. Op. cit.