From the Washington Times, the best explanation for the lack of understanding:
President Obama talks about getting our fiscal house in order but fails to propose any meaningful spending cuts. His proposals to increase the tax rate on the top 2 percent of taxpayers would fund the government for eight days, assuming no behavioral change by those whose feathers are being plucked…
Many Republicans also have been incoherent and inconsistent. Republicans are fond of telling us that their party is the party of smaller government and lower taxes, but many of them act far differently from their rhetoric… If Republicans truly believe government is too big and should be downsized, it is incoherent and inconsistent to say we are open to “new revenues”…