It’s obvious why candidates talk about the glorious programs they’ll create if elected. It fires up crowds and defines values. But we shouldn’t forget that it’s almost entirely make-believe.
In the real world, there are almost never ultimate victories, and it is almost never the case (even if you control the White House and Congress) that you get to do what you want.
Brooks's generalization offers no comfort at all. First, the executive branch needs the Congress less and less to wage a war, and much less to continue one. Second, the executive branch nominates Supreme Court justices. Ginsberg is unlikely to hold out for another term, and the Democrats may not even control the Senate next year. Third, Bernanke's term will expire in January 2014, and it's dead certain that Romney will nominate someone of a much different stripe. We can forget about economic stimulation of any kind. As for financial regulation, fuhgetabowdit! Fourth, no clean energy legislation or funding will see the light of day. It'll be "Drill, baby, drill!" to the exclusion of everything else. In fact, any cry for environmental protection will fall on deaf ears. So thanks, David, for nothing.
ReplyDeleteKen, thanks for the effective antidote, but I don't think Brooks's intention was to comfort anyone, rather to castigate Ryan for being a charlatan and lacking the will to actually try to govern.
DeleteNot that the way I presented the information let on about that. I thought a few times about making an "appropriate comment" after the quote, but never pulled it off. I was equally drawn to the option of not publishing it, and would withdraw it now but for your excellent comment (and Motomynd's).
Brilliant, Ken, brilliant!
ReplyDeleteAs an aside, why are so many pundits and politicians acting surprised about the issues with Medicare? And Social Security for that matter? Isn't the inability to continue to recruit new investors generally the undoing of all Ponzi schemes?