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I deliberately added the terms "compassion" and "productivity" to the simpler "work" vs "welfare" comparison because this need not be a polarizing issue. The problem arises because, as the American nation continues to lose the huge economic advantage it has held since the end of the Second World War, we will eventually be forced to decide how deep a safety net a post-industrial economy, more dependent upon demeaning service-sector jobs which can no longer be delegated to struggling immigrants, will be able to afford.
But with regard to supposed economic benefits for one group of states over another, it should be recognized that the underlying statistics are subject to many different forms of interpretation. The swing state of Florida, for example, contains a high proportion of retirees who are heavy consumers of Federal benefits and Federally-funded medical services, while Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania all have a low concentration of Federally-owned land and Federal institutions and facilities. Figures don't lie, but they can be carefully chosen to support a fallacious argument.
And that will be interesting as well. Republicans have wanted to privatize Medicare and Social Security for ages. Medicare recipients on average only pay about a third of the benefits they receive. The rest is paid for by taxpayers.
"Few seniors have actually paid for their Medicare benefits. According to an Urban Institute estimate, the typical retired couple paid $122,000 in lifetime Medicare taxes but can expect to receive benefits worth $387,000." https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/...=.d406fe9f5e57
If Paul Ryan gives those seniors a voucher and tells them to go shop in the open market for a policy, are we supposed to feel sorry for them? They voted for that.
Just like Eastern Kentucky where the economy is depending on Social Security Disability. There is no excuse for that, did Eastern Kentucky get hit with the plague? Let Republicans get fiscally responsible with them, it does not impact me. I have lost interest in fighting for people that won't fight for themselves. These red states like Kentucky seem to love government when that government is paying for them and my tax dollars go to that.
The federal government distributes tax funds to all 50 states. They don't get to pick and choose which states should receive funding. This is the reality of paying federal taxes. If you don't like it and choose not to pay, the police will escort you to the nearest jail cell.
Explain why the Eastern Kentucky economy should be dependent on Social Security Disability. Explain why almost 10% of West Virginia are on Social Security Disability.
"Asked about whether the Social Security disability program was off limits, Mulvaney added, “I don’t think we’ve settled yet.”
“But I continue to look forward to talking to the president about ways to fix that program. Because that is one of the fastest growing programs that we have,” Mulvaney said. “It’s become effectively a long-term unemployment, permanent unemployment program.”
So Trump's budget director Mick Mulvaney wants to privatize Medicare and definitely wants to do something about the Social Security disability program. Perhaps the best solution is to end the payments and make everyone requalify. And there should be no complaints from Eastern Kentucky - they voted for that.
Gotta love all the "Rust Belt" experts who don't live here. History has shown the so-called Rust Belt and Midwest in general vote for the candidate, not the party. Michigan, Wisconsin and Ohio aren't all of a sudden going to be voting Republican every election just because of one (close) presidential result in 2016.
I would be fine with Michigan, Wisconsin and Ohio going red. Republicans would have been fine to see car manufacturers fail and they seem to think the solution now is to take away any and all environmental protections because they think coal is the answer.
Ga is hardly close to flipping. Dems got 45% 2012, 45.9% 2016. That's miles from a majority. Southern cities do not have the % of state population NYC does, and ritzy Atlanta burbs are hardly blue. Dems need inner city population growth and for them to actually turn out and vote.
Texas would not change for many decades.
Plus over the next 15 years, Dems will lose the equivalent of Georgia due to population shifts.
Georgia is gradually shifting from a Democratic stronghold to a Republican stronghold. It could elect its first Republican governor since Benjamin Franklin Conley (1871 - 1872) in its 2018 gubernatorial elections.
I think if the situation in the Rust Belt is making those states competitive and as some have stated, moving more towards the Republican column, I think the same thing could be said about some other states moving in the opposite direction.
I think Arizona could easily flip to being a blue state given the demographic changes out there and the Hispanic influence. The state also doesn't have a huge evangelical bent and is more libertarian than authoritarian on social issues. Arizona also has strong cultural ties to Southern California, which other than in Los Angeles proper, once leaned Republican but now is a solidly blue megalopolis.
I think Georgia is the next state to do with Virginia did. Metro Atlanta is growing and becoming bluer, while rural Georgia is aging. I think the balance will be tipped there soon and Georgia will become a blue-leaning state, much like Virginia.
North Carolina on the other hand is more likely to become a Florida. It will remain a red leaning state but be very competitive for Democrats.
The big thing the GOP needs to watch is Texas. Texas is currently seeing an influx of people from all over the country and world. It's cities are becoming very culturally and politically diverse and that breeds liberalism. It shows as most of Texas' large cities are solidly liberal. The state is simply so large and has such a large rural population that Republicans dominate it. That could change. As Texas cities continue to grow and become more diverse and rural Texas continues to decline, the scale could tip there in favor of the Democrats. If that ever happens, the GOP is done. I think that we are probably 10-12 years away from this if it were to happen, but it's something the GOP needs to watch if it wants to remain a viable national party in the future.
Not with dems ignoring our concerns, it won't. Texas was purplish when it was Obama vs. McCain but not Hillary vs Trump.
Yeah I think it's getting to the point where some rust belt traditionally blue state (Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin) Will start to become swing states, not solidly red but in play for both sides. Other swing states (Iowa, Ohio) will start to lean red IMO. I could see North Carolina, and Arizona leaning blue though. Colorado and Virginia are two recent states to make the change. I wouldn't be shocked if George and Tennessee become competitive for Democrats either.
If anyone thinks that the Democrats are going to regain any kind of strength, then I've got 900 acres of West Texas desert land that I'd like to sell you. No way that red states are going blue any time soon. And blue states are going to have a hard enough time staying blue because people are finally seeing what Democrats really are and what they're all about, with some folks either going independent or switching party lines entirely. More and more Republicans are winning governor seats and mayoral races, and that trend will continue through state and city elections in the next two years. And it's speculated that the Senate could have 60 Republican seats after that same amount of time.
And to make it worse for the leftists, they never vote in mid-term elections.
You may be right, but there will have to be a large increase in the number of young minority republican voters for Republicans to remain in control. They need to focus on red states with a high minority voter rate (Such as Texas)
Georgia is gradually shifting from a Democratic stronghold to a Republican stronghold. It could elect its first Republican governor since Benjamin Franklin Conley (1871 - 1872) in its 2018 gubernatorial elections.
Georgia's had a Republican governor since 2002.
Sonny Perdue, followed by the current governor, Nathan Deal.
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No way that red states are going blue any time soon. And blue states are going to have a hard enough time staying blue because people are finally seeing what Democrats really are and what they're all about, with some folks either going independent or switching party lines entirely. More and more Republicans are winning governor seats and mayoral races, and that trend will continue through state and city elections in the next two years. And it's speculated that the Senate could have 60 Republican seats after that same amount of time.
