Why he has to lobby though is truly fascinating but puzzling.
In this environment of record unemployment and severe financial hardship due to a man made shock to the financial system, I am trying to understand the viewpoint of those who support "small" changes that don't cost money, but don't solve the pressing problems either. It is amazing to watch fiscal conservatives argue against spending to save the economy from irreparable damage because of cost when they have presided over this monumental deficit and debt.
I'm not calling for immediate energy independence or health care reform, BUT is it that "big" things cannot be done, and only "small" things (that are not small but called "small" because they don't come with a big price tag) can be done. Why is there not space for some of both? So:
- I love the environment, but how does an environmental proclamation put food on the table for hundreds of thousands of people?
- I support all and every efforts for human rights, but how does closing Guantanamo Bay create jobs for hundreds of thousands of people?
Why is there a debate about mandate when the President-elect won so convincingly?
My two cents? Obama was elected to do what he promised.....so now he should do it without apology because those practical people-oriented solutions he promised are more urgently needed with every day that goes by.
Posts
3 comments:
I disagree. To be effective, Obama will only be able to focus on one or two big issues. Politicians have limited capacity to effect change except in crises where trhey can terrify people. Americans are terrified of their government dipping into their pockets in a way they were not worried about their government torturing and killing Arabs or warring against foreigners. Obama does not have a blank cheque because his opponents will simply construe it as the black president giving the money of 'hard working Americans' to black people.
The big issue is jobs. People have to have money to worry about government dipping in. People have to work or the economy crumbles. Unemployment is a massive, massive social problem. National security depends on domestic economic security as well. No ideological politics - time for some problem solving about real issues.
On one level you are right. Obama was elected to fix the economy. On another level though, Americans only elected a black man as president because they were utterly disgusted with the failures of Bush and the imbecility of the McCain campaign. And yet the Republicans still managed a respectable vote count, including that of one of my sisters! Obama's capacity to generate change will depend on the extent of the Republican collapse. To keep them disorganised he needs to capture and hold the middle ground politically. I completely agree that a fundamental restructuring is needed to secure the future of the country, as it has lost first tier status in a number of key measures of development. But change is difficult and politically costly. Mao said he had only managed to change a few areas around Beijing. Looking at China today, you can see that his exaggeration was not without foundation. Obama understands his limits, so that to get his second term, he will only attempt to do the politically possible. To urge him to do otherwise could put the achievable at risk. The Republicans are learning this the hard way after overplaying their hand.
Post a Comment