The Daily Show ran a segment last night that visually expressed something we have all known for years. It was a circular diagram with the following steps:

Step 1: A Republican beats a Democrat in a presidential election by criticizing the Democrat for high taxes
Step 2: After winning the election, the Republican cuts taxes for the wealthy and promises to cut government spending.
Step 3: Wars, pet projects (like going to Mars), and unforseeable natural disasters prevent actual budget cuts, leading to massive deficit.
Step 4: At the end of eight years, the deficit is enormous. A Democrat then wins the election and is forced to raise taxes to balance the budget.
Step 5: A Republican beats the Democrat by criticizing the Democrat for high taxes. Republican inherits a good economy, balanced budget, and repeats the process.