Where's Ron Howard when we need him? At Politico.

Under "Potpourri," the Monkey Cage includes perhaps the funniest headlined link I've seen in days:

Politico invokes Nash Equilibria to explain fiscal cliff negotiations!

It's true. Politico has gone ostentatiously wonkbatty on us, explaining in John Nash's beautifully mindful manner that Washington's top players are self-interestedly entrenched because entrenchment happens to serve their self-interests.

Got it?

If so, you're either Nobel Prize material or you've an even brighter future at Politico's Wonkbat Department.

Comments

[shsavage]

Allen's 3rd and 4th paragraphs:

"For many Republicans, a cliff dive means blaming President Barack Obama for a big tax hike in the short term and then voting to cut taxes for most Americans next month. That’s an easier sell back home in Republican-heavy districts than a pre-cliff deal that raises taxes on folks making over $250,000 or $400,000, extends unemployment benefits and does little if anything to curb entitlement spending. If they back a bad deal now, they run the risk of facing primary challenges in two years."

"For Democrats, the cliff is better than setting a rich man’s cutoff in the million-dollar range — or worse yet, extending the Bush tax cuts for all earners — and slashing Medicare and Social Security to appease Republicans. They, too, see an advantage in negotiating with Republicans who will feel freed from their promise not to vote to raise taxes once the rates have already gone up."

These statements are so fundamentally true that any political realist could see from November 6th on that there was no chance of a deal. It's not in anybody's best, personal, interest.

That being said, Frum (http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/12/28/here-come-the-obama-tax-cuts.html) predicts the coming "Obama Tax Cut."

Do you honestly think the GOP would pass any tax cut with Obama's name on it? I don't. Look for there to be a race to see who gets it to the floor of the House first, and thus gets naming rights. The coming "Boehner Tax Cut" has likely already been inked; it's the other shoe, waiting until January 3rd to be dropped.

[shsavage]

And, in case you're wondering. The coming GOP bill in the House will reinstate all of the Bush era tax cuts and make them permanent. It will pass the House and not make it to the floor in the Senate. Then, the GOP can blame the Democrats for refusing to cut taxes.