Republicans are lost.

Why offer an alternative budget if there are no good options?


If you offer something that is actually good and politically damaging to the Democrats, we can just take the good ideas and get credit ourselves.

Once you offer a serious budget it will have to include some politically negative aspects. Just as Republicans are focusing on the tough parts of our budget, Democrats would get to do the same thing.

So the Republicans who should be on complete offense because they have "nothing to lose" will have to "defend" the unpopular parts of their program.

Republicans should keep stating the positive parts of their agenda:

low taxes
cut spending
less regulations
more personal freedom

in general terms and never make concrete proposals.

President Obama has done a great job tactically in getting the minority party to offer their own budget even though it will most certainly get ignored, unless we decide not to.

We should learn from this episode not to set up lose-lose scenarios. No matter what your status, take time and develop a plan that if successful will lead to a positive outcome.

If the Republicans stay with general principle and leave governing documents to the governing party then they can get maximum political benefit.

Democrats did this with the Iraq War. (To my dismay as a serious person) We never offered a comprehensive solution. We simply talked about withdrawal generally, and all of the bad aspects of the current war.

This should be a lesson to everyone that no matter what plan to win no matter what your position.