The GOP's minimum-wage opposition makes total sense. And that's horrifying.

The GOP's top two candidates basically argue that low-wage workers are just going to have to put up with being poorer if they want to stay in the workforce

Raising the minimum wage could change more than just paychecks.
(Image credit: Turnbull/Ikon Images/Corbis)

Tuesday's GOP presidential debate fell on the same day that fast food workers in more than 270 cities went on strike for higher pay. So Fox Business Network moderator Neil Cavuto dutifully asked the candidates about the nationwide push for a $15 federal minimum wage. Their responses were standard: No dice. Not gonna happen. Terrible idea.

If you follow the GOP candidates' logic, their arguments make coherent internal sense — but for a really horrifying reason.

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Jeff Spross

Jeff Spross was the economics and business correspondent at TheWeek.com. He was previously a reporter at ThinkProgress.