"Uncle Stupid needs a root canal"

The indispensable Kevin Williamson has a piece at NRO entitled "The Question Candidates Won't Answer." He sets the table by pointing out the high-wince-factor juvenile nature of Jake Tapper's questions at last Wednesday's debate, leading him to his ultimate dream question for Pub prez candidates:

Here’s my question, which nobody ever really asks: “Given that a small number of federal expenditures — Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, national security, and interest on the debt — typically constitute about 80 percent of all federal spending, and given that we not going to cut non-defense discretionary spending to zero, there is no mathematically plausible way to balance the budget without: 1) cutting spending on Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and/or national security; and/or 2) raising taxes. So, what’s it going to be: spending cuts in popular programs, higher taxes, or deficits forever? And before you give your answer, I’d like you all to know that standing behind each of you is a man with a Taser and instructions to use it on the first person whose answer relies on the Growth Fairy — lookin’ at you, Jeb — or the Waste, Fraud, and Abuse Fairy. Go.”

Read the whole thing to see how close he thinks each candidate is actually getting to a willingness to address the hard reality of our fiscal situation.