THAT'S A HECK OF A CHOICE YOU'VE LEFT US:

Obama must show that he knows his limits (Jacob Weisberg, August 4 2010, Financial Times)

This fear of overreaching government is deeply ingrained in the American psyche. The rational side of it appreciates that the state grows in response to war and economic emergency, but also that temporary measures are liable to stick around long after the precipitating crisis ends. Government spending at all levels has swelled from around 33 per cent of gross domestic product in the late 1990s to an estimated 44 per cent this year. At the higher level, distinctions between US democracy and European social democracy begin to erode.

On the other hand, there is a fundamental hypocrisy in rightwing fear-mongering. The global financial crisis demanded a powerful, temporary expansion of spending. Those in Congress who doubled the cost of government during the Bush years have suddenly remembered their principles in opposition. Republicans have yet even to announce a programme, preferring to stand on simple, unified opposition to everything Mr Obama favours. The vacuum they have created has left most of the attention to undeclared presidential candidate Sarah Palin, whose stream of absurdist comments on Twitter and the Fox News Channel at least provide entertainment value.

To stand up to these disingenuous attacks, Mr Obama needs to explain why his policies will not result in a more intrusive state or a less flexible economy. It is here that he has fallen short – whether because he lacks a clear view of Washington’s role or because he feels that articulating it would be a political mistake.

So the question is whether the UR is thoughtless or just a lousy pol?

Posted by Orrin Judd at August 5, 2010 6:00 AM