Via Cass, a hilarious article about how Pres Obama is gambling:
Instead, no sooner had he finished describing his plans for spurring an economic recovery and shoring up the crippled automotive and banking industries than he was off to the races, outlining his ambitions for overhauling energy, health care and education policy.
The House chamber was filled with veteran legislators who have spent decades wrestling with those issues. They know how maddeningly difficult it has been to cobble together a coalition large enough to pass a significant education, health care or energy bill.
And here stood Obama, challenging them to do all three, at a time when trillions of borrowed dollars already have been committed to short-term economic rescue schemes and when new taxes risk stunting any recovery.
Is he naive?
There's a simple answer to that last rhetorical question.
(My husband and I love making that goofy face and answering obvious questions with that stupid uh-huh. It was the first thing I thought of when I read that absurd article.)
Posted by Sarah at March 1, 2009 09:25 AM | TrackBackSo complex no government can control it.
I wouldn't call this a gamble. The outcome is certain.
The House chamber was filled with veteran legislators who have spent decades wrestling with those issues. They know how maddeningly difficult it has been to cobble together a coalition large enough to pass a significant education, health care or energy bill.
They may have "spent decades" talking about those issues, and they may understand them better than Obama does, but does that really qualify them to make decisions about them? Very few can truly be experts in education, medicine, and energy at the same time. How many polymaths are in office?
My guess is few to none. Voters reject the best and brightest in favor of the most charismatic. Elections are just popularity contests. And politicians with star power constantly acquire more real power over their cheering audience. Those of us who cannot clap for our Great Leaders can only wonder ... why?
Posted by: Amritas at March 1, 2009 01:41 PM