Comments on: Barack Obama: Governing From The Center

By: Jim S

Jim S — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 03:34:18 +0000

What’s really amusing is that I remember the accusations of “cult of personality” against those of us who supported Obama (Which I decided on a few weeks before Missouri’s primary.) and how we expected some leftist government when in fact this is exactly what I expected from him after reading what the campaign web site had to say about the issues.

By: mw

mw — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 22:27:21 +0000

"If the private sector isnâ€™t creating jobs, somebody has to prop it up." - JG

Certainly. And if the tax and inflation burden on the private sector to pay for the ever increasing public sector causes them to lose even more jobs, then obviously the government will have to do even more hiring. Ultimately reductio ad absurdum, it seems clear we may need the government to do all hiring to replace all jobs lost in the failed private sector. Just another example of the failure of free markets.

By: Donklephant » Blog Archive » Obama’s First Steps Are Making Centrists Hopeful

Sat, 22 Nov 2008 22:02:22 +0000

[...] today, Doug highlighted an article from the NY Times about Obama stocking his cabinet with non-partisan picks, and Kevin [...]

By: Justin Gardner

Justin Gardner — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 21:19:08 +0000

Also Doug, just wondering how Centrist you consider a program for hiring 2.5 million new government employees for public works job?

You mean as opposed to paying those people unemployment benefits for a year instead? If the private sector isn’t creating jobs, somebody has to prop it up.

What’s more…what would your idea of a centrist job creation plan be? Especially when this economy has lost 1.2M in the past year and is set to lose hundreds of thousands more in the next few months between the financial institutions and the car companies.

By: mw

mw — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 18:21:52 +0000

"All of this suggests that the Obama Administration will be more like the Clinton Administration than some ascendant Far Left nightmare concocted after listening to too much Sean Hannity. So far at least, the fears stoked by the right seem to be greatly overblown." - dm

I agree with the thrust of your post - the early cabinet picks and the trial balloon floated on a pre-packaged chapter 11 for the auto industry are encouraging. However, I do think the operative word here is "suggests" and it is a tad bit early to proclaim the Obama administration to be Centrist. Note - the automobile chapter 11 story is mostly speculation as there has been no actual policy preference yet explicitly stated by Obama. Perhaps we should wait until he actually starts governing to reach a conclusion. I note that the first two years of the Clinton administration with Dem majorities in Congress was considerably less "Centrist" than the last six years of the Clinton administration with a Republican congress. Also Doug, just wondering how Centrist you consider a program for hiring 2.5 million new government employees for public works job?