http://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/1/9/14161740/trumponomics-bushonomicsHere are some of the key points made by the article's author...
• Bush enacted a trillion dollar tax cut while enlarging the welfare state by expanding agriculture subsidies, new health benefits for seniors, and increasing federal K-12 education spending
• Following the 2008 crisis, the GOP repudiated Bush's "big government" policies as his primary failure
• While all other notable 2016 GOP Primary candidates were running to cut government, Trump won by distancing himself from the policy program of the Congressional GOP (i.e. His tweet about not cutting Social Security, Medicare, or Medicaid)
• Trump's platform was essentially Compassionate Conservatism 2.0, which entailed tax cuts and deregulation without large cuts to the welfare state
• McCain in 2008 blamed Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and the role government played in them for the crash, as did the GOP by asserting it was essentially big government regulation and meddling; Trump is following this rhetoric by planning to hand them over to their private shareholders
• While Bush promoted an anti-gay agenda, Trump has downplayed such issues in favor of anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim rhetoric
• Bush promoted American nationalism by running as the candidate in 2000 of relative isolationism, while using the military to "make the world safe for democracy;" Trump promotes American nationalism by running as the relative isolationist candidate, while being open to using the military to openly take other countries resources (such as oil)
• Bush and Trump are highly alike on fiscal policy, financial regulation, fossil fuels as a jobs program, cultural populism as antidote to class politics (hence his appeal to the white working class), dislike of experts and professionals, and preference for businessmen
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