Has there ever been a fiscally responsible Republican President

[hopeisaplace]

in the US?
It just seems to me that this so called "fiscally conservative/responsible"
sales pitch that cons/repubs run is pure fiction?



edit: subject line

[yourout]

1. Fiction.

Absolute falsehood.

[ThomWV]

2. How About Eisenhower?

I was awfully young when he was President but in my mind's eye he has always been the model of a Conservative (the acceptable kind) of Republican.

[tsuki]

3. He was not a conservative; he was moderate. n/t

[EST]

4. He had his own foiables.

[f-bush]

5. That's what I was gonna say

I was born just at the tail end of his presidency but it seems to me from what I've read, that he was the last repuke president to watch his spending.

[ThomWV]

7. And Complain About The "Complex"

In his farewell speech, when he warned against the increasing power of the "Military Industrial Complex" he was indeed doing just that. He was warning us.

It always amazes me to go back and reread it too. Its as if he was suprised by its existance but had already resigned himself to defeat against it. Read his words, they are chilling to this day. In fact maybe I'll go find them and make a post out of it.

[SoCalDem]

8. He came the closest, but remember, he was relatively apolitical

until he ran for president, and democrats wooed him too, to run as a dem. When he spent money it was during a time when we actually HAD some money. the immediate postwar time was a B O O M time, and we were on top of the world..
The postwar period was the perfect time to do all that building..People were sick and tired of rationing and scrimping and they were ready to see the government start spending money on THEM..instead of a war..

Eisenhower saw the inherent danger of the military industrial complex..and he warned us.. we ignored him/

[TahitiNut]

10. The Eisenhower administration wasn't bad. See here ...

There were federal on-budget surpluses in 1951 (Truman), 1956, 1957, and 1960. Nobody has been as bad as Reagan/Bush.

[hopeisaplace]

13. thanks for the chart :)

[leftstreet]

14. He's the last Prez my Repub parents considered truly conservative

[BlueCaliDem]

6. I'm Not Sure...But I've Read that Reagan and Bush41...

...both reneged on continuing to cut taxes, and had to raise taxes when they saw that their tax-cut policies were making the deficits far worse.

I guess, for Republican sheeple, and anti-tax-pro-poverty idiots, these two showed a sort of "fiscal responsibility".

Clinton called the Republicans out to put their money where their railing mouths were, and passed a sound budget reform, I believe, that was drafted but never put to work by the Republicans in congress, and it was funny that NOT ONE Republican voted with Clinton on this either as it passed!

I guess Republicans liked using the "Tax and Spend Democrats" to bolster the anger within their base for their votes, but now they've been in total power for the past 5 years, it's clear it's all been blather.

Republicans wouldn't know how to be fiscally responsible if they tried.

[CottonBear]

18. You must be very young. Reagan & Bush1 were disasters even though

Bush1 raised taxes once. Ther have not been true conservative Republicans since the mid 1970s. Think of Howar Baker(TN) or Alan Simpson(WY). (google them)

[BlueCaliDem]

20. Perhaps "Young" Regarding Presidential Politics...

...but I'm 43, so I'm not that young!

However, I admit, that I didn't much "feel" the effects of the Reagan/Bush administration since I lived abroad then.

However, I do remember that during Reagan/Bush's administration, Europe hated them--except for Thatcher.

I was then too afraid to tell any one that I was an American, as much negative American sentiment as there was then. I remember that the White House model in Maduradam, Holland, was "bombed" in protest of the Reagan/Bush foreign policies.

Yeah, it was that bad even in progressive-liberal Holland, although the majority of the elderly Dutch were infuriated, and incensed that this happened.

They are still DEEPLY grateful that the Americans came in and threw the Nazis out of Holland, and to this day, my parents-in-law speak no ill of America; their fondest memories were of American soldiers who, in spite of all the ravages of war, and death, and killing...could still offer the kindest smiles to them (they were children then) and give them chocolate (they were starving then) and a prized commodity--American chewing gum!

To this day, my father-in-law still talks about that one American soldier who looked tired, and filthy, but who smiled down at him, and he told me he asked this soldier "Gum-gum" and the American soldier didn't hesitate, but pulled out a pack of Wrigley's and gave it to him.

To this day, my father-in-law regrets he never knew this soldier's name.

Europeans haven't forgotten. They all still love, and admire the United States. They all think our country is the BEST country in the world, because it's true.

They just don't understand how an intelligent people like us, could vote for people like Bush/Cheney.

To be honest, neither do I.

[leftofthedial]

9. not since Ike

after that, they became the party of the military industrial complex and started spending like drunken sailors on shore leave

[hopeisaplace]

11. rofl

:rofl:

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

12. Roosevelt... Teddy, that is.

He did jack up defense spending, but it was sustainable for the time.

[Rowdyboy]

15. I think Herbert Hoover's "fiscal responsibility" elected FDR in 1932...

bu thats JMO.

Put mr down for Hoover (1928-1932)

[nemo137]

21. He was responsible, he was just wrong.

He tried to fix a depression by raising interest rates to keep gold in the US, which ended up taking money out of the economy, which was, basically, a bad move.

[DBoon]

16. I'd vote for Calvin Coolidge

nt

[DanCa]

17. Lincoln maybe

I cant recall his economic platform though

[HuskerDU]

19. Hoover for sure.

He believed that doing nothing would get America out of the Depression.

[Vidar]

22. Also Nixon & Ford, much as you don't want to hear it.

I won't defend their other actions however.