Going around telling people the deficit is too small is a non starter

Going around telling everyone the deficit is too small is a non starter. If the goal is to offer up policy suggestions that will broadly improve economic conditions, that's admirable, but telling everyone that the deficit is too small is a really bad way to do it.

First of all, no matter how much you try to explain it, most people will cringe at the idea of needing bigger deficits. They're either ideologically or philosophically against such a thing, right or wrong. That's just the way it is. Good luck in trying to turn everybody around on this. I hope you live a very long life.

Secondly, there's no way you can target "THE DEFICIT." How do you do that? Even if you get people to understand this, the very next thing they're going to say is, "Okay, how do we do it?" At which point you will have to say, you raise spending or cut taxes, or both.

So it's really about raising spending and/or cutting taxes. Why, then, even bring up the deficit? The deficit is whatever it is.

Of the two proposals--raising spending or cutting taxes--the government usually only manipulates tax rates, up or down. Therefore, even if you cut rates, you still don't know how big the deficit will end up being. Nor do you know whether or not people will spend those tax savings or just hold onto them. So, we can't accurately predict demand from that and that's what it's all about, demand. Finally, the government's gotta spend first before most people even know what will be the amount of tax they owe. So spending's gotta come first.

We're really talking about spending. The good news is, it's a concept that most people understand. Even if they're inclined to be ideologically opposed to spending you can still sell them on it if you talk to  them about necessary things like infrastructure, health care, education, basic science and research, altnerative energy, transportation, etc. They get it. They can envision those things. You're not just saying, "we need bigger deficits," a totally nebulous and largely negative concept for most people.

This is one of the most important rules of selling: create a picture in the person's mind of the benefits; of this beautiful thing they're going to have.

Now go paint a picture of the benefit of a bigger deficit. Good luck with that.

This is why MMT goes nowhere. It's got terrible messaging and communication.

David Corn — Secret Tape: Top GOP Consultant Luntz Calls Limbaugh "Problematic"

Another "secret tape."

Mother Jones
Secret Tape: Top GOP Consultant Luntz Calls Limbaugh "Problematic"
David Corn