a refreshing look at Obama

[Prospero]

From Foreign policy magazine...

http://www.foreignpolicy.com/article...bamas_new_deal

[Willie Escalade]

Waiting for the haters to rebuke this...and you know it's coming...

[Stavros]

Prospero, thanks for the link to a fascinating and almost balanced analysis -it probably can't be bias free. I think in the circumstances, particularly with a House that seems to block everything for no other reason than to act like a tough guy on the street corner, Obama has done well -it illustrates an interesting comparison to the economics of austerity being practised by Conservatives here in the UK -as I said in another post I wonder what the US reaction would be if Romneyshambles promised austerity to 2020 and offered Americans growth rate predictions per year of 0%-0.8% as the Bank of England has for us.

This paragraph I think is most judicious:

In reality, the Recovery Act provided early evidence that Obama is pretty much what he said he was: a left-of-center technocrat who is above all a pragmatist, comfortable with compromise, solicitous of experts, disinclined to sacrifice the good in pursuit of the ideal but determined to achieve big things. It reflected his belief in government as a driver of change, but also his desire for better rather than bigger government. And it was the first evidence that despite all his flowery talk during the campaign, he understood that bills that don't pass Congress don't produce change.

However, I think there is am emerging trend against investment in alternative energy in the US -or rather that it is lower than investment in conventional hydrocarbons. Hydraulic fracturing has 'captured the imagination' and with the promise of an exponential increase in domestic petroleum supplies the cinderallas of energy may be waiting for that coach way past midnight; and their prince won't be coming soon.

[Erika1487]

Hmm....you want him for another 4 years....O_o? I won't vote for Mitt, so I guess I will sleep in this election!

[Odelay]

Actually, Erica, as a former soldier for the GOP, I'd be interested on your take on the mud slinging going on right now. Personally, I love it. Democrats finally dishing shit back - at least at the Presidential/VP level. As a lib, I obviously want Obama. However, if he loses but goes down swinging, I'm all for that. I would like someone to put the GOP on notice that there are some Democratic candidates who just aren't going to take their 40 years of crap anymore.

[fred41]

Actually, Erica, as a former soldier for the GOP, I'd be interested on your take on the mud slinging going on right now. Personally, I love it. Democrats finally dishing shit back - at least at the Presidential/VP level. As a lib, I obviously want Obama. However, if he loses but goes down swinging, I'm all for that. I would like someone to put the GOP on notice that there are some Democratic candidates who just aren't going to take their 40 years of crap anymore.

You talk as if mudslinging is a new thing for the Democratic Party...as if they never get their hands dirty...that's ridiculous...how quick we forget the ruthlessness of the Clinton political war machine.

[trish]

You mean how Clinton ruthlessly murdered Vince Forster?

[Odelay]

fred41, in sheer volume the Democrats haven't held a candle to the Republicans. And we just haven't had good counterpunchers through the years, i.e. Dukkakis, Gore, Kerry, and yes even Clinton. In 1992 Clinton was all about the economy while also drafting on Perot, who was doing a lot of the heavy lifting.

[fred41]

fred41, in sheer volume the Democrats haven't held a candle to the Republicans. And we just haven't had good counterpunchers through the years, i.e. Dukkakis, Gore, Kerry, and yes even Clinton. In 1992 Clinton was all about the economy while also drafting on Perot, who was doing a lot of the heavy lifting.

there is and always has been mudslinging by both parties...if not directly by the parties...then indirectly by the campaigns...it's just that when it's done by a candidate that an individual backs...it's often seen as a half truth (or complete truth) and therefore fair game...or, as a fair knee jerk reaction to an opposing slander that's always seen as having been slung first (if that makes any sense)...

...and the Clinton's became terrific at digging and digging. That's one of the reasons no one wanted to run against her here in New York.

Gore and Kerry were fine ...Kerry just wasn't very likeable, something that's very important in any election (though I agree Dukkakis was terrible at it).

[trish]

Speaking of Kerry, even the GOP these days uses the word "swiftboating" to mean a scurrilous, unfounded slander campaign to ruin someone's good name in order to gain political advantage.