Posted on 05/11/2014 12:03:54 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
In the past few days, three candidates who ran for the last Republican presidential nomination, including nominee Mitt Romney, have endorsed a higher minimum wage.
Yahoo!Finance asks Mitt Romney Calls for Higher Minimum Wage. Does it Matter?
Mitt Romney, the GOP presidential nominee in 2012, called on Republicans Friday to raise the minimum wage, going against the congressional leadership of his own party.
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"I think we ought to raise it, because frankly, our party is all about more jobs and better pay, and I think communicating that is important to us," Mr. Romney said on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.”
In recent days, two other Republican presidential hopefuls from 2012 – former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty and former Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania – have also called for a minimum wage hike. The trend may signal that in presidential politics, some Republicans see the issue as a way to soften the party’s image across a broad electorate.
On MSNBC, Romney linked his support for a higher minimum wage to the GOP’s effort to reach out to working Americans, including Hispanics. Romney lost the Hispanic vote to President Obama, 71 percent to 27 percent.
“I also believe that key for our party is to be able to convince the people who are in the working population, particularly the Hispanic community, that our party will help them get better jobs and better wages,” Romney said.
Matter in What Sense?
The senate has blocked debate on the issue. It needs 60 votes to advance but only has 52. The fact that Mitt Romney flip-flopped twice (from for, to against, to for) does not change Senate math.
Nonetheless, Romney's flip-flopping does raise this question once again: From Obamacare to war-mongering to minimum wage, what real differences were there between Obama and Romney?
About all I can come up with is war-mongering and abortion. On the war-mongering front I remain convinced that if Romney had won the US would have attacked Iran and we would be engaged in a hopeless trade war with China.
Non-Differences
There are probably a few other differences, but arguably not on anything the President can directly control. Here are some distinct non-differences.
The 2012 election offered a classic choice of Tweedle-Dum vs. Tweedle-Dee. I said so at the time and numerous Republicans attacked me for that view.
Perhaps Republicans can see the truth now, but I doubt it. Self-assessment by bureaucrats and political parties is about zero.
Hopefully the 2016 election provides a real choice. Don't count on it. However, you can count on bluster, huffing and puffing, finger-pointing, and name calling even if there are few real differences.
The wildcard in this is when the employer mandate finally kicks in. That will be a wage destroyer in and of itself.
Though I see now that the GOPe is into “me too” politics as usual instead of doing something about that atom bomb coming in the future.
I’m not ideologically stuck in the sand with knee-jerk reactionaries.
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I'm against that. Imho, (I'm no economist) one of the biggest impediments to keeping jobs in this country is the power of the unions. That has to end. We need to remove government interference from private business.
These idiots may as well belong to the Democrat Party. They are trying to move us in the wrong direction.
None of these guys are worthy to be the nominee
You keep blaming Republicans who are the minority party and powerless for “sending” jobs overseas, don’t you think the Democrats had a huge hand in that too?
Pfizer is moving it’s headquarters to London apparently _ how did the powerless minority party accomplish that?
I suspect this is a lead-in to the GOP-e pushing a higher minimum wage as a strategy to win 2016, if they’re not doing so already, so don’t be susprised when Jeb Boosh and Krispy Kreme endorse this move also.
PING!
I’d rather have the flat tax. The “prebate” is the stupidest idea in the history of Earth
They may have jobs available, but I’m betting they’re more likely to put skilled Whites and Asians in these jobs rather than indigent, unskilled Blacks and Hispanics.
I therefore suggest that we own this debate by calling the minimum wage the “White Pride wage,” thus giving it enough stigma to use it on offense against the Democrats and GOP-e.
I just think it is stupid to fight over. I mean Maryland is patting themselves on the back for making it 10.10 but not until 2018 and by then it will be worth 7.25. It just seems like a waste of time to fight over something that does not even take effect until a long while from now and why not just attach it to the Social Security annual increase....I think this would be an awesome idea. Everyone gets a raise but it would be very low raise or else they might finally pay Social Security recipients enough to get their money back at least. Win win for all.
And you think so far the opposite that you want me to just agree that it's a "non issue"? Simple economics are pretend, as the economics are also cluttered with requirements for social security, workers comp, Obamacare --
-- One of us is in the wrong party if you think Republicans should advocate raising the minimum wage. If I wanted that, I'd vote Democrat.
Idiocy.
Period.
Yes.
I accept your criticism to the extent I have not equally assigned blame to both Republicans and Democrats.
I completely accept that criticism and apologize to anyone and everyone who may have so interpreted any post I have made or do make at any time in the past or future.
How is that?
I do not mean to blame just Republicans.
I blame our current bunch of politicians.
Both parties.
It’s not just the politicians IMO -the bureaucracy is also a big reason
Replace the income tax with the FairTax and abolish the IRS!
FairTax will bring companies and jobs back to America.
FairTax Frequently Asked Questions addresses this issue at http://www.fairtax.org/site/PageServer?pagename=FAQs:
“With the penalty for working harder and producing more removed, Americans are free to keep every dollar they earn, and a new era of economic growth and job creation is unleashed. Hidden taxes are history, Americans are able to save more, and businesses invest more. Capital formation, the real source of job creation and innovation, is facilitated. Gross domestic product (GDP) increases by an estimated 10.5 percent in the first year alone. The FairTax as proposed raises the economy’s capital stock by 42 percent, its labor supply by 4 percent, its output by 12 percent, and its real wage rate by 8 percent.
“As U.S. companies and individuals repatriate, on a tax-free basis, income generated overseas, huge amounts of new capital flood into the United States. With such a huge capital supply, real interest rates remain low. Additionally, other international investors will seek to invest here to avoid taxes on income in their own countries, thereby further spurring the growth of our own economy.”
The principle of minimum wage, let alone raising it, is for the left. I am on the right. I will vote for the side that gives me the option of voting to OPPOSE and frustrate the minimum wage in any way. It is a principle of conservative use of government. Government, the "dangerous servant," should be used sparingly, conservatively, for good reason. When it's used liberally, we get 21st Century America.
I will be voting for the candidate who voices in general principle, REDUCED GOVERNMENT including Obamacare and Minimum Wage because it is a dangerous overuse of government as is abundantly clear. If the Republican party can't deliver that voting option, of voting FOR an alternative, then my vote will go to another party.
As it is, I would be a Democrat if I wanted what the GOP is offering today.
The morons are now self-identifying.
You keep up this nonsense and we will continue to lose elections which is your goal anyway. Keep us in the minority so you can complain all day.....how’s that working out for you?
Thee ignorant stooges.
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