A Piece of Advice for the World’s Most Intractable Man

posted at 4:23 pm on December 9, 2009 by Howard Portnoy
[ Elections ]   

James Taranto leads today at BOTWT with an item that includes a piece of well-intentioned advice for Barack Obama. The item opens with a summary of Obama’s most recent speech — his millionth by rough count — arguing the need for a “Proposal to Accelerate Job Growth and Lay the Foundation for Robust Economic Growth.” This is a circumlocution for stimulus, a word Obama dare not utter lest people be reminded of his oh-so-successful $787 billion stimulus, thanks to which — you will recall — the unemployment rate never rose above 8%.

But what was truly striking about Obama’s speech was not his chutzpah in asking the American people to allow this government to spend more of their money on another fool’s errand, but his reference to the “bitterness of partisanship” and “endless campaigns focused on scoring points instead of meeting our common challenges.”

By this you might assume that Obama was finally owning up to his own severe limitations as a man and a leader. But, no, it was — if you can believe it — his usual dig at this predecessor. Talk about the pot calling the kettle. . . ah, never mind.

It is in the spirit of attempting to help Obama devise a plan that will really help the economy that Taranto offers his advice and that is to

call a moratorium on so-called health-care reform. Just tell Congress to put the effort on the shelf until after next year’s election.

The threat of a government takeover of the health industry, which would impose enormous new costs on businesses, has got to be a drag on the economy. In part this reflects a fear of the unknown, a tendency to hold off on major economic decisions as long as it is unclear what if any legislation will pass.

In essence, Taranto is asking Obama to allow the American people to vote their conscience about health-care reform as it is currently defined: something that they will do in the votes they cast in the upcoming midterm elections. If they are on board with Obama’s ideas, they will reelect their Democratic Congress members. If they are not they won’t.

Will Obama heed advice that could ultimately prevent his holding the bag in the event his partisan approach fails? It’s doubtful. But it’s fun to think about — if you’re not Barack Obama.

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