As we count down to doomsday or not (and equity investors pile their last cash on the sidelines into stocks), we thought some reflection on an interesting analysis of the last debt ceiling debacle was worthwhile. In a few brief minutes, William Spaniel shows the payoffs and decision trees that led to the decision to compromise on what was close to the Gang-of-Six middle ground when the stuff hit the fan last time.
2011 Preferences
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Crucially, while the process is similar this time, it appears to us that the lack of middle-ground this time shifts the optimal path increasingly to a 14th Amendment possibility. Nevertheless, his process may provoke some thoughts on just how this "game" is played even as Boehner exclaims "this ain't no game."