Portlock, the problem with this piece is that is an analysis of the promises/claims/proposals of the candidates and as such is not based in reality. George Bush claimed he was going to cut taxes, cut spending and balance the budget. Guess that worked our real well, huh?
Without a serious (cynical?) analysis of what the candidates will actual do, not what they promise in order to get elected, the piece is nothing but fluff.
My question obviously involves a certain amount of guesswork, since it’s always hard to know what the candidates will really do when elected. But I’d rather live with seriously thought out guesses than with campaign promises that have repeated been demonstrated to be nothing but fluff.
For instance, would either of them seriously consider fighting against the type of bailouts that we are currently seeing? Would either of them seriously consider and actually have a chance of restructing Social Security? Would either of them have any real effect on rising health care? Would either of them actually use the bully pulpit to encourage Americans to consume less and save more? Would either of them actually consider changing our tax structure to tax things we want to discourage, such as pollution, instead of things we do want to encourage like earning a living? Maybe the bottom line to this question is whether either of them actually has the courage to stand up to the special interests and the whining of the FBs that they need a handout? Frankly, I find it hard to believe either has nearly enough courage to do something like that.
