Will A True Limited Government Republican Please Stand Up?

The Republican presidential candidates are now facing real voters casting meaningful ballots. One would like to think that Republican primary and caucus voters will reward fiscally responsible candidates. 

And to that end, Cato's Chris Edwards has compiled a handy crib sheet on where the candidates stand on taxes, spending, the deficit, and more.

On the biggest driver of federal spending – entitlements – Edwards notes that for the frontrunner, Donald Trump, the signs are dismal, at best:

Social Security. Trump suggests not cutting a “single penny” from Social Security and has criticized Nikki Haley's proposal to raise the program's retirement age. He proposes using oil and gas leasing revenues to keep the program afloat rather than spending restraint.

Medicare. Trump opposes Medicare cuts and has criticized Ron DeSantis for supporting congressional proposals to reform the program.

That's no surprise – Trump's policy vision, such as it is, tends toward the fantastical and unserious. But on both of the major programs, he's in lock-step with Joe Biden.

As for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis…

Social Security. DeSantis said, “We're not going to mess with Social Security as Republicans,” but he has also expressed support for making program reforms for younger workers.

Medicare. When he was running for Congress, DeSantis supported turning Medicare into a premium support program, which would increase competition and choice.

Um…yeah. Never back down may be the name of his superPAC, but backing down is exactly what the Florida governor has done on this major fiscal issue.

And to  round out the top three, we have former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley:

Social Security. Haley wants to raise the retirement age for younger people, adjust inflation indexing of benefits, and limit benefits for the wealthy. She said, “It is unrealistic to say you're not going to touch entitlements” and “entitlement spending is unsustainable. We need reform.”

Medicare. Haley wants to reform Medicare by expanding privately provided plans in order to increase competition and reduce prices.

This puts her light years ahead of the other major contenders…and also means she will be the object of unceasing hostility from her fellow Republicans and Democrats.

All of these are reserved to remind us that even modest political courage is off limits among the current crop of politicians seeking the White House. 

Edwards has more items on his list; you should read them all. His bottom line is that “[a]ll presidential candidates of both parties should propose detailed plans to tackle the government's massive flood of red ink.”

I agree. But I won't hold my breath waiting for such detailed, thoughtful, and tough proposals to be introduced. The incentives to do so simply do not exist.