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“Majority Maker,” You Say…?: Democrats’ Tough Talk On Ryan Budget Doesn’t Match Reality

April 8, 2014

  • Democrats are talking tough on the Ryan Budget, calling it a “defining issue” and treating it like their secret weapon to win back the majority.

  • It would probably be more convincing, however, if Democrats hadn’t used these same stale talking points just two years ago.

  • The year was 2012—President Obama was already on the ballot and Paul Ryan had just been picked as Mitt Romney’s running mate. Democrats bragged that Ryan was their “majority maker,” yet Republicans soon emerged with their second-largest House majority since World War II.

  • Democrats have tried these warmed-over attacks before and they’ve failed spectacularly. With their party continuing to support ObamaCare and their own budget that never, ever balances, it’s not surprising Democrats are clinging to any false bravado they can muster.

 

flashback tps

 

Over The Last Week, Democrats Have Vowed That The Ryan Budget Will Be A “Defining Issue” In The Fall:

DCCC Chairman Steve Israel Said The Ryan Budget Will Be The “Defining Issue” In The Midterm Elections. “On the heels of a new federal budget plan unveiled Tuesday by Republican Rep. Paul Ryan, Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chairman Steve Israel is predicting the proposal ‘will be the defining issue in the midterm elections.’” (Rebecca Berg, “DCCC Chair Steve Israel: Paul Ryan’s Budget Will Be ‘Defining Issue’ In Midterms,” Washington Examiner, 4/2/14)

Politico: “Steve Israel: Paul Ryan Budget Gives Democrats A Lift” (Politico, 4/2/14)

Israel Said The Budget Will “Define The Next Seven Months.” “”Let me give the three words that will define the next seven months: The Republican budget,” Israel said.” (Ashley Killough, “Democrats To Focus On Ryan Budget In 2014,” CNN, 4/2/14)

 

Despite These Same Attacks Two Years Ago, Republicans Emerged With Their Second-Largest House Majority Since World War II:

After Mitt Romney Picked Paul Ryan As His Running Mate In 2012, DCCC Chairman Steve Israel Predicted Ryan Would Be His “Majority Maker.” “Mitt Romney this morning may have just become the most recent DCCC majority maker,” said Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chairman Steve Israel in an interview with The Huffington Post. “It’s no question, we have been slogging uphill to get the majority. We needed a national breeze at our backs, and Mitt Romney may have given us that breeze this morning.” (Sam Stein, “Steve Israel: Paul Ryan’s Selection May Have Become Democrats’ ‘Majority Maker’ In House,” Huffington Post, 8/11/12)

Medicare Will Be A “Defining Issue”: “ ‘We said from the moment the gavel came down on the vote to end Medicare that we would hold Republicans accountable,’ Israel says. ‘It is a defining issue – and it does define the difference between Democrats and Republicans.’” (Dave Cook, “Democratic campaign chief: Paul Ryan is vulnerable,” The Christian Science Monitor, 6/1/2011)

Republicans Hold Their Second-Largest House Majority Since World War II. “The National Republican Congressional Committee on Wednesday released a list of the top seven Democratic-held House seats the committee plans to target in 2014, as it moves to go on offense despite having to defend the second-largest GOP House majority since World War II.” (Joshua Miller, “NRCC Announces Top Targets for 2014,” Roll Call, 1/16/13)

 

Most Independent Observers Agreed That Their Attacks “Turned Out To Be A Dud”:

Attacks On Ryan Budget, “Never Really Took Hold.” “Nearly three months after the Ryan pick was made, it’s clear that these attacks never really took hold.” (“Dems’ drive to retake House falters,” Politico, 11/4/2012)

The Hill: “Medicare Fades As ‘Majority Maker’ For House Dems,” Turns Out “To Be A Dud”: “Attacking Paul Ryan’s Medicare plan — once seen as the most potent weapon in House Democrats’ campaign arsenal — is turning out to be a dud.” (Sam Baker, “Medicare Fades as Majority Maker for House Dems,” The Hill, 11/3/2012)

Bloomberg Businessweek: “House Democrats Not Getting The Medicare Traction They Sought”: “’The percentage of the electorate that cares about Medicare as their foremost issue’ is ‘just nowhere compared to the economy and jobs,’ said David Wasserman, House analyst for the Washington-based Cook Political Report. ‘Republicans have effectively neutralized that line of attack by pointing to Obamacare.’” (James Rowley, “House Democrats Not Getting the Medicare Traction They Sought,” Bloomberg Businessweek, 11/2/2012)

Politico: “Paul Ryan Plan Not The Weapon House Dems Expected”: (Alex Isenstadt, “Paul Ryan Plan Not the Weapon House Dems Had Expected,” Politico, 10/9/2012)

Running Against The Ryan Budget Has “Turned Out To Be Mostly Wishful Thinking” For Dems: “Two months later, that’s turned out to be mostly wishful thinking.” (Alex Isenstadt, “Paul Ryan Plan Not the Weapon House Dems Had Expected,” Politico, 10/9/2012)