The Challenge of Absolutist Politics

I was recently down in Washington DC meeting with uh senior people on both sides uh the Republican side and the Democratic side about the budget deficit and virtually everybody agrees that you have to get the budget deficit down to 3% of GDP and then I say why can't we make or you make a pledge that you will get it down to 3%. and they explain the absolutist policies that uh must exist and those are that you must make statements like I will absolutely pledge not to raise your taxes or I will absolutely pled ...