There's the Beef
By Steven Pearlstein
Friday, February 22, 2008; D01
During the course of our endless presidential campaigns, lots of silly things are said by the candidates and the press. But few are more ridiculous than the idea that Barack Obama is just an empty suit.
We're talking here about a former president of the Harvard Law Review. Have you ever met the people who get into Harvard Law School? You might not choose them as friends or lovers or godparents to your children, but -- trust me on this -- there aren't many lightweights there. And Obama was chosen by all the other overachievers as top dog. Compared with the current leader of the free world, this guy is Albert Einstein.
Given his youth and relatively short time in government, it's fair to ask if Obama has the wisdom and experience to be president. But it's quite another to suggest that he has no vision, no program, no specifics.
Let's begin with the fact that he has written two books (all by himself, unlike a certain other candidate). The first offers a compelling personal narrative that, for some reason, is dismissed as puffery by a presumptive Republican nominee who first ran for office on the strength of his compelling personal narrative. The second book is a thoroughly readable, intelligent and well-reasoned discourse on politics and policy that offers a fresh perspective on a wide range of issues.
Obama has participated in 18 televised presidential debates in which he has managed to hold his own not only with Hillary the Wonkette, but also with the Senate's leading light on foreign affairs, a former United Nations ambassador and a former vice presidential candidate who was a skilled trial lawyer. I watched most of the debates, and while I didn't agree with everything he said, I don't recall thinking that Obama was in over his head.
Now that Obama is sprinting toward the finish line in the Democratic marathon, his opponents are suddenly asking, "Where's the beef?"
If it's beef you like, all you have to do is go to http://barackobama.com, where you will find a refrigerator case packed with prime policy meat. That may come as something of a surprise to you, considering how utterly lacking in substance the reporting and analysis has been over the last year. But it's all there -- as much as or more than is offered by other candidates and certainly as much as any voter would require.
There is, for example, the 11-page, single-spaced energy plan that features a cap-and-trade system that would require businesses to purchase credits for 100 percent of their carbon emissions, along with a requirement that all electric companies produce a quarter of their juice from renewable resources. Obama would also invest $15 billion annually -- a big chunk of change, even by federal standards -- in biofuels and other forms of clean energy. He wants to change the way electricity rates are set to give utilities more incentives to save power rather than produce it.
Those aren't uniquely Obama's ideas -- in one form or another, they've been part of the Democratic congressional agenda for years. And considering how fiercely they are opposed by industry and free-market Republicans, they aren't going to produce the kind of across-the-aisle compromise that Obama promises to deliver. But it's hardly like there's nothing there.
Or perhaps you'd like to curl up with a copy of Obama's 15-page, single-spaced health-care plan, including 65 footnotes. You'll find a cogent analysis of what ails the health-care system, along with the best thinking of Democratic health-care reformers on how to fix it: disease management, computerized medical records, radical reforms of the insurance market, tax subsidies for low-income families and federal reinsurance for catastrophic illness. There's even a requirement that businesses either offer health insurance to their workers or pay into a universal health-care fund.
The plan would be expensive and involve a major federal intrusion into the marketplace, and there is a legitimate question as to whether the plan would work better if everyone were required by law to buy health insurance. But by any measure it is a serious plan that would win the support not only of labor but also of major parts of the business community, including hospitals and health insurers.
Finally, there's the 40-plus-page economic agenda that outlines Obama's proposals for avoiding a recession, helping homeowners avoid foreclosure, restoring the rights of workers to form unions, improving public education, combating poverty and shifting the tax burden from the middle class to the upper class.
Once again, Obama has borrowed liberally from the standard Democratic policy playbook, adding a few twists of his own. He's willing to gently challenge the teachers' unions on merit pay, the trial lawyers on medical malpractice and liberals on raising Social Security taxes rather than pretending there's no problem with the retirement program. But this is hardly the kind of challenge to Democratic interest-group politics that Obama's "change" rhetoric suggests.
Particularly disappointing is his willingness to parrot the labor movement mantra about labor and environmental standards, which is really nothing more than protectionist code. And there's no way Obama can do all that he proposes and get anywhere close to balancing the federal budget.
But such shortcomings are hardly unusual for a political campaign; the Clinton economic program is no better. And as we're all about to find out, it's far better than the thin gruel offered so far by John McCain, who, God help us, plans to bone up on economics by reading Alan Greenspan.
McCain's economic program consists of extending the Bush tax cuts, cutting corporate tax rates and banning taxes on the Internet and cellphones. His "comprehensive" health-care reform program consists of two pages of platitudes with no specifics and no way to pay for itself. And while he calls for "tough choices" in reining in entitlement spending, he still hasn't found one he's willing to share with us.
Barack Obama isn't a saint. He's not a savior. But in substance as well as style, he's the most impressive presidential candidate to come along in quite a while.
Steven Pearlstein can be reached atpearlsteins@washpost.com.
- Re: 欧巴马是空谈家吗?《华盛顿邮报》经济专栏文章posted on 02/22/2008
it was so marvelous to hear the debate on NPR radio today. I was so thrilled by Obama's deep voice, super sexy!
I would give Clinton a bit support too, just because mom likes her, and she is not too bad, and just act too much like a man!
- Re: 欧巴马是空谈家吗?《华盛顿邮报》经济专栏文章posted on 02/23/2008
不少人有同感。有些人因此而投票选他。所以被称为变相的"American Idol"。希望 Obama 的支持者选他不是因为他 sexy。
maya wrote:
it was so marvelous to hear the debate on NPR radio today. I was so thrilled by Obama's deep voice, super sexy!
I would give Clinton a bit support too, just because mom likes her, and she is not too bad, and just act too much like a man! - Re: 欧巴马是空谈家吗?《华盛顿邮报》经济专栏文章posted on 02/23/2008
Actually,《华盛顿邮报》经济专栏文章 defeats its own purpose. It says
Once again, Obama has borrowed liberally from the standard Democratic policy playbook, adding a few twists of his own.
Basically, Obama's change is a Xerox copy.
- Re: 欧巴马是空谈家吗?《华盛顿邮报》经济专栏文章posted on 02/23/2008
What's wrong with that? It simply means he knew as well as anybody what needs to be done. You wouldn't expect him to start a revolution, would you?
pepper wrote:
Actually,《华盛顿邮报》经济专栏文章 defeats its own purpose. It says
Once again, Obama has borrowed liberally from the standard Democratic policy playbook, adding a few twists of his own.
Basically, Obama's change is a Xerox copy.
- Re: 欧巴马是空谈家吗?《华盛顿邮报》经济专栏文章posted on 02/23/2008
i like both of them too.
友情商榷 wrote:
不少人有同感。有些人因此而投票选他。所以被称为变相的"American Idol"。希望 Obama 的支持者选他不是因为他 sexy。
maya wrote:
it was so marvelous to hear the debate on NPR radio today. I was so thrilled by Obama's deep voice, super sexy!
I would give Clinton a bit support too, just because mom likes her, and she is not too bad, and just act too much like a man! - posted on 02/23/2008
So you agree with Obama's change is a Xerox? By the way, that is what Ms. Clinton said the other day.
Can I conclude that Obama know as much as anyone else? No. To xerox is not the same as to understand the issues.
What is the twists Obama add to the economical plan he xeroxed? Among other things, he is against many free-trade agreement, including the NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement ), the cornerstone of the globalization. He in particular blames Mr. Clinton who signed the NAFTA for lossing america jobs.
touche wrote:
What's wrong with that? It simply means he knew as well as anybody what needs to be done. You wouldn't expect him to start a revolution, would you?
pepper wrote:
Actually,《华盛顿邮报》经济专栏文章 defeats its own purpose. It says
Once again, Obama has borrowed liberally from the standard Democratic policy playbook, adding a few twists of his own.
Basically, Obama's change is a Xerox copy.
- posted on 02/23/2008
Obama's change is a Xerox? Is this English?
No. Of course I don't agree. The only thing we can agree on is that Obama is going to win.
pepper wrote:
So you agree with Obama's change is a Xerox? By the way, that is what Ms. Clinton said the other day.
Can I conclude that Obama know as much as anyone else? No. To xerox is not the same as to understand the issues.
What is the twists Obama add to the economical plan he xeroxed? Among other things, he is against many free-trade agreement, including the NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement ), the cornerstone of the globalization. He in particular blames Mr. Clinton who signed the NAFTA for lossing america jobs.
- posted on 02/23/2008
Only to be crashed by McCain.
touche wrote:
Obama's change is a Xerox? Is this English?
No. Of course I don't agree. The only thing we can agree on is that Obama is going to win.
pepper wrote:
So you agree with Obama's change is a Xerox? By the way, that is what Ms. Clinton said the other day.
Can I conclude that Obama know as much as anyone else? No. To xerox is not the same as to understand the issues.
What is the twists Obama add to the economical plan he xeroxed? Among other things, he is against many free-trade agreement, including the NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement ), the cornerstone of the globalization. He in particular blames Mr. Clinton who signed the NAFTA for lossing america jobs.
- Re: 欧巴马是空谈家吗?《华盛顿邮报》经济专栏文章posted on 02/24/2008
欧巴马是不是空谈家, 只有他当了总统后才知道。美国不会有空谈家的,体质不允许。在其位必某其政。 - posted on 02/24/2008
This you have spoken too soon. We'll have to see who crushes whom in the end.
On the other hand, McCain isn't bad. I can root for a McCain/Giuliani ticket. The down side about McCain is that he looks too old and kind of silly sometimes. But McCain is a cleaner politician than Mrs. Clinton. The old man is one of only five senators who didn't do earmarks, which are millions of tax dollors spent for dubious projects benefiting only constituents, often political donors of those who did. Mrs. Clinton was one of the heavy weights in the Senate for earmarking.
Besides, conservative republicans are so unhappy with McCain that some are claiming that in this presidential race there are only democratic front-runners, albeit from different parties.
pepper wrote:
Only to be crashed by McCain.
- Re: 欧巴马是空谈家吗?《华盛顿邮报》经济专栏文章posted on 02/24/2008
The eyes are the windows to the soul, while voice is the door to the heart, Obama has the key of that door, he was sent by God to change the world.
友情商榷 wrote:
不少人有同感。有些人因此而投票选他。所以被称为变相的"American Idol"。希望 Obama 的支持者选他不是因为他 sexy。 - posted on 02/24/2008
touche在说欧巴马有实质内容, 不是空谈家. 他针对的是一种比较普遍的看法. 你在说欧巴马的东西和民主党一贯的主张没有区别. 这并非touche的本意.
实际上欧巴马的竞选策略十分成功. 在初选阶段, 用个人魅力,振奋人心的演讲和口号挑战比自己强大的对手,只强调"变, 变, 变", 而不谈具体的东西. 因为和对手谈相似的理念和政策,执政策略和经验会把自己放在劣势的地位. 一旦被提名以后,要面对的是和自己理念相差大的对手, 再谈具体的各种执政方针和策略是最佳时期. 针对不同的时期, 不同的对手和自己的特点,采用不同的竞选策略, 欧巴马做的很成功.
pepper wrote:
So you agree with Obama's change is a Xerox? By the way, that is what Ms. Clinton said the other day.
Can I conclude that Obama know as much as anyone else? No. To xerox is not the same as to understand the issues.
What is the twists Obama add to the economical plan he xeroxed? Among other things, he is against many free-trade agreement, including the NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement ), the cornerstone of the globalization. He in particular blames Mr. Clinton who signed the NAFTA for lossing america jobs. - Re: 欧巴马是空谈家吗?《华盛顿邮报》经济专栏文章posted on 02/24/2008
I don't know whether Obama can change the world or not, but baby, you are a true poet, so is Obama.
key to the heart wrote:
The eyes are the windows to the soul, while voice is the door to the heart, Obama has the key of that door, he was sent by God to change the world.
- posted on 02/24/2008
人生看来确实是性格决定命运。在超强度的长途艰苦选战中,错综复杂的胶着与政治垃锯下,创造美国历史流名帝国政坛的梦想,权欲在心中的煎熬,欲取不得欲罢不能的患得患失、朝三暮四的出尔反尔,真是一场丰富戏剧化的电影题材。
在这种超负荷的风云变换中,理智和计策都已逐渐退出了主战场,剩下的只是个人的本能、魅力、语言和说话表达的方式。即便是金玉良良言、合纵联横治国平天下的奇略佳方,但出于一个声嘶力竭的nasty之口,也只会成为选民耳边的叫卖之声。即便是胸无点墨、哗众取宠的空空废言,但出自一个颇显自信的”优雅“之口“磁性”之声,也自会成为神的召唤。:)
希拉里心魔太重,息浮气躁,方寸已失。48小时即前言不搭后语,举止言论自相矛盾,岂不是将急恶之名主动揽于自身?在攻击对手散步不实谣言上,过于斤斤计较,岂忘记了自己也曾毫无根据地抨击扭曲对手的所谓堕胎政策。看来心里太急,已然不知该听谁的意见,何去何从。
这就是为什么,人要有自己的原则、尊严和底线。这些东西能让你纷繁复杂的革命斗争中,保持一种简单朴素的信念,形成容易遵循的准则,不会因自己和他人众口喧哗而轻易迷失。这也是为什么有智慧的强人要修身养性,这些东西能让你形成一种良好的本能,和待人接物一种简单易行的优雅,在革命斗争白热化,你和对手都精疲力竭的时候,你还能本能地拿捏住自己的言行,给别人一种简单的信任感,最小化自己的失误和破绽。天生举止充满所谓魅力的人,当然就更有优势打持久战了。:) - posted on 02/24/2008
touche wrote:
There's the Beef
牛肉是有了, 但是牛肉的价钱呢?
全国纳税人协会一月份根据竞选人的各项提议,计算出如果实现他们全部提议所需要的新的开销. 全国纳税人协会的两套财会软件长期以来一直计算每一个国会议员的提案所带来的费用, 还是很可靠的.
欧巴马的各项主张如果都实现了, 需要增加287 billion的开支. 经过布什的8年的开销, 现在平衡预算的呼声很高. 再借钱估计不可能了. 欧巴马本人也说要fiscally responsible. 所以只有增税这一条路了. 这样大规模的增税是否会counterproductivity?
保罗,还有朱尼亚尼是唯一两为候选人,真正地在减少开销, 保罗减少150 billion. 教育部,能源部这些衙门都撤消了.
麦肯恩的经济上开销是未知, 这是他总开销增加不大的一个原因.
- Re: 欧巴马是空谈家吗?《华盛顿邮报》经济专栏文章posted on 02/26/2008
欧巴马空谈不空谈,竞选本身就是一个最好实例。欧巴马货真价实的CEO能力在竞选活动中展现得很充分,跟毛主席有一拼;这光靠个人魅力可远远不够。尤其在南卡的获胜,更是在各阶层、各种族、各性别、各年龄段的全面获胜。相比之下,希拉里这位老牌CEO的表现真有些乏善可陈。她快别老拿“有经验”这张牌显摆了。 - posted on 02/28/2008
st dude wrote:
That's impressive. Good points.
However, we all know the cost only tells us one side of the story. Revenue and general economy are more important. If you family cost shoot up 15% this - no worry, your income may have increased 40% in a good year. what's the bother? :)
Are you able to make US enconomy and US dollar back on track - guess this is the priority.
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