A couple more bits of insight on the recent State of the Union, this first from the Weekly Standard’s Fed Barnes: Obama Blows Smoke. Excerpt:
We know that supply-side economics emphasizes serious cuts in tax rates and Keynesianism relies on massive amounts of government spending. But how in the world does “middle class economics” work? After President Obama cited it repeatedly in State of the Union speech, I waited and waited for him to explain how it works. He never did.
Instead, he confused a cause with a result. Middle class economics, he said, “is the idea that this country does best when everyone gets their fair shot, everyone does their fair share, and everyone plays by the same set of rules.” That’s a nice sentiment, but it’s not an economic policy.
Let’s be honest about this much; President Obama doesn’t have an economic policy. What he has is a healthy dose of 1960s style Keynesianism with a healthy dose of class envy rhetoric thrown in to stir up the Left. And to be fair, the GOP has (so far) not done a very good job of articulating an alternative.
How about talking up some real tax reform, like the FairTax? How about concrete proposals for dealing with our Ice-Age style, mile-thick glacier of Imperial debt that is creeping steadily down on our children and grandchildren?
Here’s another, this from National Journal’s Ron Fournier: Does Obama Believe What He Says Anymore? Excerpt:
President Obama ended his State of the Union address where he started his political ascent—offering to be a leader who produces can-do bipartisanship in a divided, dysfunctional capital.
“Imagine if we broke out of these tired old patterns,” he told a joint session of Congress on Tuesday. “Imagine if we did something different.”
Yes, imagine if rather than empty promises, the president could report two-party progress on big issues like immigration, climate change, social mobility, and the debt and deficit.
Actually, you don’t need to imagine. Such leadership exists in this country—just not in Washington.
And, indeed, this is true. It’s going on in Wisconsin, where Governor Scott Walker has reined in that state’s runaway finances. It’s going in in Michigan, where Governor Rick Snyder has dealt with Detroit’s fiscal nightmare and worked out the state’s problems with unfunded pension costs. All around the country (well, not in California, where the lunatics continue to run the asylum) state Governors are accomplishing what the Imperial City is helpless to address.
Maybe, in 2016, we need to stick one of these Governors in the Imperial Mansion.
