Agreed, with caveat...

We've often talked about how the last "New Deal" President was James Earl Carter... but that isn't technically true, is it?

Reagan was not "New Deal"... and neither was Bush Sr. I can't see Clinton fitting that label, either, Democrat or not. Bush Jr, however... New Deal all day long. Between "No Child Left Behind" on one end of the spectrum and his prescription drug program on the other, what President since Carter has done more to prove the maxim that "Big Government does it better"? I think, to give credit where credit is due, that Bush thought he was following the Reagan paradigm... but government grew at a rate of more than 17% each year he was in office, and that is NOT counting his military spending. Yes, he cut taxes... but with the tax cuts came huge increases in government spending (much of it years into the future, too).

Bush Jr. took the New Deal "ideal" in exactly the opposite direction that FDR did: FDR raised taxes and increased spending in order to "stimulate" the economy... while Bush lowered taxes and increased spending, with no apparent intention to reduce that spending... ever. Short term gains... long term pains.

There are no "Tea Party" candidates on the radar yet... unless you count Ron Paul. No mainstream GOP candidate, regardless of promises to the electorate, will actually reduce the size or scope of government... period. They might reduce the rate it grows, but they will NOT reduce the size or cost by one employee or one penny. In fact, I doubt that any will even PROMISE to do so until the economy actually does recover. They will roll back the Obama increases, sure... but the cost and size will be AT LEAST what it was in 2006, and by even my card-carrying-Democratic-Party-member's opinion that is WAY TOO MUCH. If the unemployment rate is still over 7.5% nationally, there will be no change in the 99 week UI benefit extension plan... hell, it might even extend again. If the national rate of uninsured is still above 20 million, no change will come to the MedicAid and Medicare extensions, either. Social Security will NOT be restructured... or even addressed at all. Taxes might be reduced... but to no lower than they were in 2008, and nothing close to what they were in 1982.

Ironically, my 18-year-old received her first voter registration card today in the mail, and was very excited about the prospect of exercising her sovereign franchise as an American citizen as soon as this May (for the primary elections here in PA). I had a brief talk with her about how I will never judge her for how she votes, as long as she takes her vote seriously and learns both sides of an issue before she does so. Once she casts that ballot, though... she will have all the same rights and opportunities to voice her opinion here at the house as her mother or I do. No one can say she didn't do her duty then, as long as she does do her duty.

Imagine how pissed her father would be if he found out she voted "conservative"? Hehe...