It’s well known I wasn’t a Bush fan. I may have more in common with Bush on ideology but in terms of his personality, I am glad he’s gone. I think Bush is a good man, I just don’t think he was well suited to be President.
Obama, on the other hand, is very well suited to be President. He has far more empathy. Pundits don’t realize how much credibility Obama gets from people when he admits mistakes.
The big bummer with Obama, of course, is that he doesn’t understand economics and seems to have a very weak knowledge of history.
If Obama had really wanted to stimulate the economy, he could have simply abolished the payroll tax for say 6 months. That would have made quite a difference to people.
On the other hand, Obama has some truly good ideas that Republicans should acknowledge. The free market is a lot like a wild garden. Sure, it will produce food and spread but I tend to think that the most productive way to grow food is to have a farmer (the government) providing infrastructure.
A little watering can make a big difference just like a little infrastructure can. Better roads, better more effective court systems, more police, etc.
For example, if the government could provide universal Internet service, even if it was at a very slow speed, a lot of private sector growth could occur. That would be a worthwhile project - a basic level of network access.
Similarly, spending money on roads is worthwhile for much the same reason. Anything that lets citizens communicate and mix better is likely to become an engine for economic growth.
That’s why this “stimulus” bill pains me. It’s such a wasted opportunity.
Whether you’re a Republican or a Democrat, I can only imagine the heights of support Obama might have enjoyed if he had launch an obviously beneficial and huge infrastructure project like a massive road infrastructure upgrade across the country or an endeavor to make sure all users have at least 512bps wireless net access anywhere that’s remotely near civilization.