It's probably pointless, but still, isn't it possible that maybe some Republicans might stop and reconsider if someone on the other side stopped beating up on them for a moment and took the time to address their concerns about spending directly? One way to do that would be to point out that as long as the economy grows faster over time on average than the debt, the debt will always be 'manageable,' no matter how large it may become. (Think about a credit card holder whose income growth exceeds the growth in her debt: she will always be able to increase her credit limit and still make all required payments. That's why credit card companies are always asking if your income has increased: they want to lend you more money because they know you'll always be able to make the payments.) Republicans are scared because they know no individual can accumulate debt indefinitely - eventually the piper must be paid or bankruptcy must be declared. But the country is not an individual - it's never going to stop working and growing. Combine that with the fact that all government spending (in representative democracies at least) serves (in one way or another) to undergird and support economic growth, and Republican concerns about spending lose their force. If some Republicans still have enough of their wits about them to recognize that, they might be willing to work with Democrats to raise the debt ceiling and get on with the job.
It's probably pointless, but still, isn't it possible that maybe some Republicans might stop and reconsider if someone on the other side stopped beating up on them for a moment and took the time to address their concerns about spending directly? One way to do that would be to point out that as long as the economy grows faster over time on average than the debt, the debt will always be 'manageable,' no matter how large it may become. (Think about a credit card holder whose income growth exceeds the growth in her debt: she will always be able to increase her credit limit and still make all required payments. That's why credit card companies are always asking if your income has increased: they want to lend you more money because they know you'll always be able to make the payments.) Republicans are scared because they know no individual can accumulate debt indefinitely - eventually the piper must be paid or bankruptcy must be declared. But the country is not an individual - it's never going to stop working and growing. Combine that with the fact that all government spending (in representative democracies at least) serves (in one way or another) to undergird and support economic growth, and Republican concerns about spending lose their force. If some Republicans still have enough of their wits about them to recognize that, they might be willing to work with Democrats to raise the debt ceiling and get on with the job.