Spending cuts.

Republicans keep mouthing the mantra that the country has a spending problem. The republican "solution" is to cut spending on programs which they hate to the bone. But they never mention the massive spending that they support and want increased. Democrats assist republicans in that effort by drawing a moat around Social Security and Medicare and defending spending that support deep red districts to a large extent.

So, let me get to the bare reality as I see it.

Seniors overwhelmingly support republicans and have continued to do that as republicans have sought time after time to cut or eliminate Social Security and Medicare. Democrats have been stout defenders of both programs, yet, that defense have done nothing fr democrats in districts where the senior vote is a decisive part of the electorate. Accept for the human aspect of the defense, why are democrats continuing to fight tooth and nail against the changes to SS and Medicare that republicans want? The democratic base are largely people that don't use SS and Medicare, it is mostly too young. Giving up the battle would do virtually nothing to the democratic base. Seniors in Blue states and districts will be cared for, those districts by nature are more compassionate.

Farmers overwhelmingly vote republican, even in Iowa. In Iowa, it is the cities that appear to give democrats that state in national elections, the farm areas. The democratic House and Senate caucus is largely an urban and suburban caucus. Except for Korbachar and Harkin, none of our Senators will suffer if we stop supporting farm supports in full. If republicans want to cut food assistance for poor people, we should cut farm support subsidies as deeply as republicans want to cut foo aid. We would lose no House seats, all in the affected regions are republican anyway, let republicans defend the programs and let farmers scream and complain when the cuts happen. So be it if they drive tractors into the Capitol, the don't do that when food aid or aid to the poor is being cut. We need to sacrifice people that are not our base to limit the damage to people that are part of our base.

Oil country is deeply republican and in words and actions is immensely hostile to the causes that democrats support and value. We should lobby relentlessly to eliminate oil depletion allowances and spending on correcting the environment after damage from oil extraction. Reduce unemployment support for laid off oil workers like republicans want to for all other workers.

My proposals will be criticized, but that criticism largely ignores the reality that we have all the support that we will get from the groups mentioned above for cuts. That support won't grow until we step back and have them face the full brunt of what they vote for when they send republicans to Washington. Democrats must stop fighting a Custer-like battle to protect Unions and the poor while allowing republicans to constantly expand their support among groups that we also stoutly defend, but get no benefit from.