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A Romney-Ryan Rally At A New Deal Relic

Joe Shlabotnik on flickr

When Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan rally in Daytona Beach Friday night -- and somebody should tell them this right away -- they'll be worshipping at a temple of deficit spending, Keynesian economics and executive power unconstrained.

Their event takes place at the Daytona Beach Bandshell, a picturesque outdoor auditorium built during the Depression on the city's beachfront by what conservative economists like to characterize as the largest welfare program in U. S. history: the Works  Progress Administration.

The WPA was a New Deal agency under President Franklin D. Roosevelt. At a cost of five billion 1930s dollars, it created jobs for 8.5 million people, some of whom built the stage upon which Romney and Ryan will condemn deficit-deepening jobs programs. About a dozen WPA infrastructure projects still stand in Florida.

The other thing that Romney and Ryan should be aware of is Daytona Beach's motorcycle culture and the fact that a major biker event will be underway while the candidates are in town. To appreciate this fully, imagine you’re a former Mormon missionary and then click this maybe-not-safe-for-work link: Biketoberfest.

The I-4 corridor votes are out there. But you have to work for them.

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