As I remember it, the repubs elected in 1994 did balance the budget and reduce the size a bit. Clinton took credit for a two year budget surplus due to the actions of a republican house. As far as running up the deficit, it bounced up a bit during the dot.com bubble burst and small recession in 2000 and then during the hit the economy took in Sept. 2001, but after 2002, the deficit was coming down again until dems took control of the house again in Jan. 2007. the frustration is that since 2009, the repubs have run on the promise of stopping Obama and have failed miserably. That is why the conservatives are angry at the establishment and have turned to Trump out of frustration.