Sorry for misspeaking. What I should have said is that "If you want anything approaching a balanced budget in modern times..."

The facts are that surpluses were routine before the 1960s, under both parties. Since then, not so much.

1998 was the first year the United States government recorded a budget surplus since 1969 [0] (Clinton with a GOP Congress).

Since 1981, the deficit deepened under Republican administrations and shrank under Democratic ones [1]

That aligned with the creation of a right-specific media system where "Republicans don't fight Republicans" - so there can never be any internal accountability.

[0] https://clintonwhitehouse3.archives.gov/WH/New/html/19981028...

[1] https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/fact-check-us-deficit-gr...