Friday, October 31, 2008

Krauthammer Is for McCain, against Reality

Krauthammer today breaks down the two candidates:

Start with economics.

Neither candidate has particularly deep economic knowledge or finely honed economic instincts. Neither has any clear idea exactly what to do in the current financial meltdown. Hell, neither does anyone else, including the best economic minds in the world, from Henry Paulson to the head of the European Central Bank. Yet they have muddled through with some success.

Both McCain and Barack Obama have assembled fine economic teams that may differ on the details of their plans but have reasonable approaches to managing the crisis. So forget the hype. Neither candidate has an advantage on this issue. [Emphasis mine]

Really? John McCain, who said the fundamentals of the economy were strong in the midst of the biggest crisis in 70 years, whose principle economic advisor called us whiners and mocked the growing concern over the economy, and who has professed no interest or aptitude for economics himself, isn't at a disadvantage? Obama can speak without preparation with depth and literacy on the economy, and holds an 18-point lead in "which candidate do you think understands the economy better?" I know Krauthammer is speaking in terms of substance and not politics, but in this case the majority of Americans have it right.

I do appreciate, however, Krauthammer's willingness to put an Obama victory in perspective:
This is not socialism. This is not the end of the world. It would, however, be a decidedly leftward move on the order of Lyndon Johnson's Great Society.

No comments: